The Cairo bulletin., 1911-02-13
TONES IN ENGLAND FIGHT IT,
REGARD ALL NATIONS AS
FOREIGN.
MAKES FOR FREE TRADE
For This Reason Proposed Canadian
Reciprocity Pact With United
States Has Big
Possibilities.
BY william r. Stead.

the house of commons this week have
been almost as interesting to Ameri-
cans as to the old folks at home, for
the question that overshadowed all
others was the reciprocity agreement
between Canada and the United
States. The question embraces the
greater question Of the future rela
tions, political and commercial. of the
British empire and the American fe-
public.
The debates have been full of in
terest because they have brought in
to clear relief the fundamental dbf
ference between free traders ano
protectionists. The former, who in
clude the ministeriahsts, laborites
and home rulers, enthusiastically
welcome the reciprocity arrangement
not merely becarse it Is a step near
er free trade, but because it is Ger
tain to make for closer and more
friendly relations between the EN-
Dire and the republic The latter,
oispiritcd outnumIbered and defeated
minority, hate the agreement, be,
cause it makes breach in the tariff
wall by which they hope forever to
divide Canadians from Americans In
Chamberlain's words, they declare
the agreement takes Canada oIt OF
the imperial oaibit and draws her int
the vortex of continental politics and
continental interests or the United
Saes,
All Nasons Foreign.
To the tariff reforhe., every nation
that does not ly tire union jack and
own allegiance to King George Is al
foreign ard rival nation, whose In
ternational trade It Is to British in
terest 10 thwart and limit as much
as possible AS Americans in this
particular instance are the foreigners
we have the spectacle of British
tories wrinsing their hands and tear,
ing their hair over the agreement
because it removes some OF the ar
tificial barriers that have been set up
for the purpose of alternating Cara.
dians from Americans and keeping
alive sentiments of antagonism and
mutual jealousy.
The American republic should re-
gard with the liveliest satisfaction
ha o,El az 1yy ha 10
three elections of the ascendancy OF
the British Liberals. Every speech
made In the house this week proved
more clearly than ever that to Bril-
ish Liberals the American republic
is another fatherland. To the Lib
erals, the Americans are not foreign
ers, they are brothers, and their in
terests are identical In nearly every
Liberal speech there may be dis
cerned a passionate longing to undo
the mischief wrought by George III.
and the tories of his day by restoring
in one way or another the shattered
unity Of the English speaking world
Reciprocity Welcome.
The reciprocity agreement Is well
coined therefore not merely as gool
in itself, but as holding promise of
realization in the future of the great
ideal of anglo-American reunion.
II another reason was wanted to
convince Americans that every Amei
can ought to be well wisher of the
British Liberals and an III wisher Of
the tories, 1t should be found in the
fact that the former are friends, the
latter enemies of Irish home rule. I
went down to the house OF commons
last Thursday to sense the politi cal
temperature and to admire the new
frescoes in the smoking room, which
every American who visits London
this year should make point OF see.
ing. There | found Devlin, the fidds
achates of Redmond, whom, Hea,y
themes" Devlin Is well known
throughout the English speaking
world as the rising hope of the Irish
Nationalists.
ffOW lOHB nave you Deeu III parma
ment?' / asked.
Mine years." he replied
"And how long are you going to re-
main here?"
1.-Two years more ne said, "anl
t NJ | shall sit in the Irish parlla-
n at at College Green"
herein Devlin expressed the hope
tl the Liberal victory has given to
Il Irish nation. have never been
al to understand why an American
ca regard without antipathy the
pa which, as its name implies, ex-
ist for the purpose of frustrating
the Snational aspirations OF the Irish
people.