Evening star., 1924-12-21
BALDWIN ACCUSED
!. Of BREAKING FAITH.
Forecast of Government Pol
. icy on Protection Hit by
Free Traders.
BY a. G. GARDINER.

BY Radio to The star.
: LONDON, December 20.-The polit,
deal world here has been convulset
by the protectionist policy which i:
foreshadowed by the government.
year ago Prime Minirter Bald
win resigned in order to appeal tc
the country for a mandate to intro
duce general tariff, and he sus.
tained a crushing defeat. Last month
former Prime Minister Macdonald re.
signed, after an election fought solely
on the issue of socialism.
The country rejected socialism as
emphatically as, the year before, il
had rejected protection. Mr.. Baldwin
promised that If he returned to Of
fee he would not introduce a general
tariff or any new taxes on food.
Accused of Breach.
Mr.. Raldwin's forecast Of the gov
ernments policy is held to be a breach
Of that undertaking. His opponents
contend that his proposals. in effect
involve the introduction OF a general
tariff in the worst possible way, by
admin trative Discrimination between
the industries
Any industry which claims to be
suffering from unfair competition
from any quarter can claim the right
TO be protected against competition
from all quarters. The genera! inter
pretation of the phrase unfair com
petition" practically covers every
serious factor OF the cost of manu-
facture, low wage. long hours, con-
dttions of exchange and SO forth.
Under such an interpretation. hard :
ly any industry could be denied all
round protection. Thus, if duty is
put on French motors. on the ground
OF lower a. oh
the value of currency, this duty would
be applicable to motors brought from
America. although the wages and ex-
change there are higher than here.
Sensation Is Created.
The announcement has created a
great sensation in financial circles.
Phe free traders claim that Prime
Minister Baldwin has broken his SOL
emn compact at the instigat!on of his
die hards" while the protectIonists
are rejoicing that, after many years
of agitation and many defeats, vic
tory is in sight.
Winston Churchill, who left the
Tories 20 years ago in oDDosItion to
the protection!st proposals, but who
now has re-enlisted under the Tory
colors, has swallowed his convictions
and has come out as a thick-and-thir
advocate of the new policy. He is
now making unbiushing gIbes at his
late Liberal colleagues, David Lloyd
George and Herbert II. Asquith
This early declaration of war on
the position OF free trade raises a
first-ciass fighting issue and the
presentation Of the formal scheme of
the government proposals VIII in
augurate the biggest political battle
which has been waged in this country
for 20 years
Concurrently with the near-offer OF
protection of manufacturers the gov
"rnment finds itself unable TO tax
food or. to propose q corn growing
subsidy for the farmcrs-wh hich is
heid to be an invitation to foreign
growers to raise the price of corn to
ne equivalent to the British level and
against the British consumer. who
depends on external sources for three
foarths of his supply of wheat.
Position Is Involved.
The whole question of the basis of
Great Britain's industrial position In
the world is involved in great chal-
lenge now being launched by the gov
ernlnent against the free trade ira
dition of the country.
An incidental consequence of this
challenge may be q revival of the
O. 'dHSt' WHICH Is tHs ark OF
the free trade covenant and which
always becomes active at the sound
of the protectionist' trumpet 1t is
the strange irony of the situation
that Lloyd George, who always has
been SUSPECTED of beresy on the sub
ject OF free trade, Is at present the
leader of the Liberals in the House
of Commons, while Winston Churchill.
who was always believed to be a con-
WINGED upholder Of the free trade doc
irine, Will be the most formidable
leader of the new protectionist cause
The level Of political morals never
was high, but in these days it has
fallen to the plane OF the huckster's
barrow
Copyright 1924