New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-05
TIE IOLCE OF The COLONIES.

Mr. BalfOurs cOmmittal OF himself TO the
imperial protectiOnist policy advocated by Mr..
Chamberlain will be variously criticised as
beated. Intellectual and what not, according
TO the political procliyities of his censors: and
OF course ii Is far less significant now that he
is merely the leader OF small Opposition than
il would have been a few years ago, when be
was the leader OF powerful Government. 1t
IS nevertheless not unimportant, either per
sonally or politically, seeing that Mr. Balfour
possesses one Of the keenest and most compre-
hensive mtelects in British public life, and
that he has still before him great promise
and potency of political achievement. We can
| imagine how some of the austere CObdenites
will regard him, from that point OF view which
pityingly esteems a protectiOnst necessarily
| and essentially lacking In either sense or con-
science: but not in the eyes Of all the world
can his conversion be thus ca yalierly discred-
tied.
For Mr.. Balfours credo is pronounced In uni
son with one OF the most impressive chornses
ever heard by British ears. There can be no
discrediung the colonial representatives in the
imperial conference. AS we have hitherto
pointed out. the Liberals have accepted that
body and admit its authority and Importance
equally with the Conservatives who founded
il. Moreover. In composition the conference is
largely Liberal and Radical, But by far the
IIOSI conspicuous anu Noteworthy feature OF
it is its complete and aggressive unanimity in
favor of a protective policy. On other matters
there or may be divisions OF opinion and
desire. On that one point the first and fore
most of the agenda there is none. Free
trade within the empire and protection against
"al the rest OF the world Is the unanimous de
mand
The reflection must be bitter one TO those
who still believe in Golden and expect the ful-
ilment of his prophecies. He was certain that
when England adopted his free trade policy
the whole world would speedily follow her ex-
ample, and he forbade his followers 70 doubt
It any more than they doubted the rising OF
the il has long been observed that not one
other great country has ever followed that
ample. and that only q few minor states have
done More significant ia II that England's
own colonies. which have been developed under
the Cobdenite dispensation, have every Of
them repudiated that example and have turned
back with zest and aggressive conviction 10 the
older protectonist faith. There Is not even a
free trade British Empire anding Athanasius-
wise against II protectionst world, but simply
free trade United Kingdom standing In the
midst OF a protectiOnist British Empire and a
protectOnist world.
Such a situation cannot be permanently ig-
nored. II may be possible for Sir Henry
Campbell Zimmerman to prevent the taking of
any action upon the tariff by the present i'm.
peral conference. But the sentiment OF that
conference is known. Its voice has been heard
It cannot fail 10 have It's effect upon the United
Kingdom itself People will ask how It Is that
Englishmen in those great New Englands Of
the west and south strongly turn away
from the fiscal fetch of Mother England. and
will wonder if these great. growing. prosperous
colonies may not, after ALL be right. For pro-
tectiOnist France, prOtectlonist Germany, or
even protectiOnist America. the CObdenite NAV
have pity, contempt reprobation But a
protectionist Canada, Australia and South
Africa are very different things Their voice
is not the voice of aliens, but OF England's own
offspring. II cannot be hushed. It must not
be scorned In time It must lie heard