THE COLONIES AND BRITISH PARTY POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 472, 2 April 1909, Page 4

THE COLONIES AND BRITISH PARTY POLITICS.

The hope.held out by the tone of the preliminary discussion upon tho Navy Estimates in the House of Commons that the politicians would remain above party has been steadily growing more slender. The point has at last been reached, unhappily, when New Zealand's offer of a Dreadnought, and the enthusiasm for the •Imperial cause which the other dominions have displayed, are being used as weapons in the domestic quarrels of British parties. We have the Morning Posi affirming that "after the splendid offer of the Australian States fiscal changes are inevitable," and the Daily Express saying that "Imperial preference must ba tho outcome of the colonial Dreadnoughts." It is ill enough that the Tariff Reform press should thus convert an Imperial event to party ends, but it is still more deplorable that Mr. Balfour should have been unable to resist the opportunity to make party capital out of the Imperialist sentiment of the dominions. "If," ho is reported as saying, "such gifts are accepted, Britain cannot refuse preference to the overseas States. A fiscal change is now inevitable. The new system must grant what the whole constellation of sister States have steadily, persistently, and patiently asked for year after year." We may for tho moment overlook the astonishing inaccuracy contained in the assertion that the dominions j have steadily and persistently asked | Great Britain to change her fiscal policy. So far as the New Zealand public is concerned, it has been recognised that any attempt to interfere with tho fiscal policy of the Mother Country would be grossly improper. In the meantime, however, it is more important to make it quite clear that in doing what it considers its duty to the Empire, New Zealand has had no thought of wanting a return such as suggested. We recognise no obligation upon Great Britain's part to make any return for our gift. Indeed, the virtue of our gift, and the satisfaction which everybody, however he may disagree with the manner and the matter of' Sie Joseph Ward's offer, must feel at having done something for the Empire, will disappear at once if we arc to bo treated as hucksters in Imperial goods,, swapping and bargaining in the temple. If Mr. Balfour were stating a corrcct principle in saying that Britain must alter its fiscal policy if it accepts such Imperial gifts, the only thing that New Zealand could decently do would be to abstain from making any sacrifice or offering any gift to Great Britain. How, otherwise, could its gifts and sacrifice escape the suspicion of being tainted with hypocrisy 1 A supplementary report of Mr. Balfour's speech, printed to-day, quotes him as saying, with rcspect to the New Zealand offer, that "such splendid patriotic liberality ought not to be used for the relief of tho British taxpayer or as a subvention to the ( Motherland's pecuniary necessities, but as an additional guarantee of the maintenance of the Empire's supremacy." The offer was made because Sin Joseph Ward desired it to be understood that New Zealand was prepared to bear her .full share of the naval burden. The Admiralty must judge tho Empire's necessities. We make the offer: the rest is Britain's business. Britain must do its utmost, but the needs of the case will be so vast that the burden on the British taxpayer will ultimately becomc a subject for shame to the dominions unless they take their share. The dominions do not desire a vainglorious : ownership of superlluous ships: they only . want to bear their portion of the load, and to act in a way that, as we said yesterday, will "enable tho naval security of

the Empire to rise above challenge without any heart-breaking burden being placed upon the shoulders of the people in the British Isles." The true interests of the Empire, as wo have again and again contended, will be menaced by any attempt at exploitation.of the Imperialist spirit of the dominions to serve the domestic ends of party politicians. Whether Frcctradc or Protection is better for Britain we arc not required to say: we only say that it is a question for Britain to settle. This is the attitude of all sober Imperialists and of the vast bulk of the people of New Zealand.