Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-03

! trading Liberals under Asquith and
Lloyd George for long spell OF power.
Ever after the Tories have shaken at
the knees at the idea Of suggesting a
I tax on food to British electorate. This
fear complex has lasted for a quarter CT
century. 1t got fresh lease of life
when a misguided Baldwin took his
party to the country in 1928 on an in
sular policy of protection for manufac-
turers in Britain, and was shattered
But the fact of the matter is that the
empire merger issue has never been put
squarely before the British electorate.
Previous fiscal proposals have been mar
row and national. No one has pre-
vtouSly gene to the country with
proposition for bringing the enormous
agricultural resources Of the empire into
one economic complex with the indus
try of Britain. which has an immense
industrial population but only a reia-
lively small agricultural area. And no
one knows exactly how the country
would take such a proposition.
But 1t is significant that the last by
election was won by Sir John Ferguson,
a Conservative and an open advocate
of the merger idea. He came into con-
flict with Baldwin and the party ma
chine because oficially the party does
not yet approve of the whole-hog mer-
ger idea. The central ONCE withheld
support. STILL he won.
Baldwin Is Under Fire.
But Baldwin and his Conservative
central office in charge of his henchmen
are under fire and may not last much
longer. Further, although Snowden is
a doctrinaire free trader and threatens
to repeal the existing safeguarding du-
ties, it is always possible that political
labor may eventually 60 Ben Tillett's
way and plump for this grandiose
scheme for taking a page out of the
American prosperity book. The posi-
bilities of polittsal action are thus
strengthened at both ends.
Everywhere mems minds are being
awakened to this empire idea and hope.
Masses of workingmen who hitherto
have always thought of imperial prefer
encs and tariff reform in terms of pol
iticians' catch-words about dear bread
and meat at famine prices, are being
worked upon by the leaders of their own
class and party. In the movie theaters
they see and listen. to Jim Thomas
talking about Our great 'eritage, the
hempire." So 1t goes.
The dominionS have yet to be con-
suited. And they are tough nuts. Jim
Thomas, the minister for employment,
brought back one reaction from Canada.
He said that wherever he mentioned
the merger idea the answer was a loud
laugh. But maybe that is because 1t is
still linked with the name of Lord Bea-
verbrook, who is not liked in his native
country-perhapS because Immediately
after his celebrated cement merger and
retirement to England the price of &C.
ment in Canada rose so per cent.
South Africa Is Critical.
South Africa under the present gov
eminent Is nationalistic and critical of
the empire tie, eand would not come in
unless she saw exceptional advantages
for herself, and Australia Is taking her
own industrial line and Is disposed to
doubt the altruism of the mother
country.
What can the mother island offer the
dominion peoples to induce them to
come into this grandiose merger? That.
says Lord Melchett, Is matter for ne
COLLATION.. Such questions arise In every
merger and get settled somehow. You
will never achieve great object, you
will never carry through q great pur-
pose, If you begin with difficulties and
begin to consider all the objections be-
fore you accept the principle" he says
There you have 1t in a nutshell. The
crusaders want the principle accepted,
and seek a round table conference to
UEcdA Cue DdCk Oh tklc uuSlIleSS i he
dominionS have necessarily to envisagc.
before they sit down, the closing down
of part of their industrial plant as re-
dundant to the existing plant in Britain,
the mother island offering compensa-
tien In the form of free entry of agri-
cultural produce and q tariff against
the foreign farmer.
It Is a big thing. very big thing,
so big that the sponsors of the merger
are wise to call themselves crusaders
rather than mere advocates. Where the
great crusade is going to take the vis-
counts. barons, knights and plain mis-
tiers who have joined it at the rousing
cry of Peter-the-H Hermit Beaverbrook,
one would be rash to surmiSe
But, anyway, they are on the march