Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-12
Canadian Changes
Politics i'm Britain
BY A. O. GARDINER,
EngIand's Greatest Liberal Editor.

81
Prime Minister Bennett Of Canada
has taken the center Of the stage ct
the imperial conference and has issued
q challenge which changes the whole
face Of the English political situation.
With one hand the Canadian premier
has knocked out Lord Beaverbrook's
empire free trade crusade and Incl
dentally set UP Stanley Baldwin, whose
seat in the Conservative party saddle
had been lettering under the attacks
of Lords Beaverbrook and Rothermere.
His blunt dismissal Of the idea of en-
pire free trade as neither possible nor
desirable was based on the fact that
Canada Is infiexibly committed to the
protection Of her manufacturing inter-
ests, not merely against foreign coun-
tries, but also against British compete
ton.
Having swept Lord Beaverbrook from
the field, Mr.. Bennett with the other
hand offered Premier Macdonald a
proposal to establish a system Of i'm
perial preferences between all parts Of
the empire, based upon 10 per cent
tariffs or upon tariffs yet to be created.
His method of presenting this project
was ostentatiously directed not to the
government in power, but to the Con-
servatives, who hope soon TO be in
power.
The gesture had an immediate effect.
Mr.. Baldwin, visibly relieved at the
knockout blow administered to Lord
Beaverbrook, promptly snatched at the
offer in order to rehabilitate himself
in the leadership of the party, his fall
day he issued a statement accepting the
Bennett scheme and announcing that
the Conservative party will formulate
proposals giving effect to the principle
and submit them to the country at the
coming election.
BY this declaration Mr.. Baldwin re-
nounces his undertaking not to fight
for election on the issue Of food taxes,
but to submit it to a referendum Of the
electorate when he is returned to ONCE.
Thus while Lord Beaverbrook is beaten
by Premier Bennett on empire free
trade, Mr.. Baldwin is equally beaten on
the policy he has sought to impose on
the Conservatives. Ever since his defeat
in the election of 1928 he has resisted
the temptation to commit his party
offlcially to support food taxes, not be-
cause he disapproved them, but be-
cause he was convinced they would be
fatal to the success of the Conserva-
tives at the polls. But the tide of party
opinion has gone Overwhelmingly
and hostile feeling had grown so strong
that his deposition seemed only q mat
ter of weeks.
If Premier BENEFITS brave words have
not overcome Mr.. Baldwins doubts,
they have provided him with the occa-
sion to take the plunge and retain
leadership of his party by fol-
lowing in its wake. The effect of his
declaration undoubtedly will be the con-
solidation of the party by the oblitera-
ton of the Beaverbrook- Rothermere
disruptive factors, but in spite of this
fact it is doubtful whether the plunge
into whole.hog protection will not
prejudice Conservative chances of VIC
tory, for the cry of food taxes will
equally consolidate the Labor opposition
and give them the support of the
Liberals In constituencies where Liberal
candidates are not standing for cleo
ton.
All newspaper comment agrees that
Mr.. Baldwin's declaration has made
food taxes the issue of the election and
that the appeal to the country cannot
be long delayed. The Conservative press
with few exceptions enthusiastically
ndorses the Bennett Baldwin program,
,hough the Spectator pertinently asks
If British imports cannot scale
he present tariff wall of the dominions,
hey will be enabled to get more easily
over the wall which has first been made
;till higher only to be lowered again.
The Liberal and Labor press denounces
,he scheme as designed to tax the food
If 100000 people for the benefit of
Canadian manufacturers, whose 10 per
,ent preference would still leave them
IS securely protected against British
as they are now.
(Copyright, 1901