New-York tribune., 1911-02-14
BRITISH COLONIAL DISCOURAGE
NEWT

The report that the Union Of South
Africa is about 10 withdraw the prefer
ential tariff rates in favor of Great Brit
ain which it has been granting along
with the Commonwealth and the two
Dominions may or may not be true, but
it is at least plausible, and its realiza
tion would not be in the least surprising
Neither would such action on the part
Of the Union be a manifestation Of grow
ing estrangement from the United King
dom or of the revival Of anything like
the oldtiMe Boer hostility TO the Brit
ish. On the contrary, we should expect
TO see it advocated by many of the most
aggressively loyal of the British party.
It would simply mean that the South
Africans were tired of granting fayors
without any return. and that they were
inclined 70 look out primarily for the
welfare of the Union and let the United
Kingdom do likewise, as II indeed now
persists i'm doing.
\ few years ago all four Of the great
self-goyerning republics Of the British
Empire established preferential tariff
rates in favor Of the United Kingdom
and of the empire generally, Canada TAX
ing the lead and granting the largest
percentage. 1t was hoped and expected
by the colonies that the United Kingdom
would reciprocate by establishing some
tariff system under which like discrim-
ination would be made in their favor.
IT was the desire of the tariff reform
party in England that this should be
done. But the tariff refOrmers were not
in power, and the loyal CObdenites who
bore sway would not even listen to such
heretical proposals. Accordingly the
Colonial Premicrs were sent home dis
appointed in their scheme of an imperial
customs union with free trade within
the empire and protection against the
rest Of the world. True they generously
declared that they would keep right on
favoring the mother country, even If she
would not return the favor. But that
was Just before a general election, III
which il was not thought impossible that
tariff reform would prevail. Now two
general elections in quick succession
have demonstrated that the gods of Man
chester are not yet dead and that any
thing like an imperial customs union is
the proverbial "irideScent dream" What
wonder then, that Canada eagerly seeks
with the United States the reciprocity
which the United Kingdom would not
grant. and that the Union Of South
Africa is said to be purposing the with
drawal of what ii deems an unappre-
ciated favor.
The Cobdentes of Great Britain
should, of course, be delighted. They
should he pleased to see the colonies
abandoning that policy which is most
contrary to their faith and most odious
70 them. They should surely prefer 20
have q full and heavy tariff enforced
irnpartially against Great Britain tan
to have that country made the bene-
ficiarv Of economic profigacy and vice,
such as they esteem reciprocity and
preferential rates 10 be. But il seems not
unlikely that an increasing number OF
Britons will say that that may he mag
uificent but is not trade. The recent offer
Of the great colonies was 10 establish
universal intraimpcrial preference. 1t
would cause some British heart-search'
ipr if there should in fact be formed IN
intercolonial customs union giving pref
erence TO other countries ana discrilnl-
mating against the United Kingdom.