CHAMBERLAIN'S SPEECH.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 897, 21 May 1903, Page 2

CHAMBERLAIN'S SPEECH.

HEARTY CO XGRA TU L A TIO N S

By Telegraph—Brass Association— Copyright. LONDON, .May I'M Mr Cliuniboriain has received humlods of lettirs ara! telegrams, and inny pirsomi! visits m congratulai<m on his speech. Lord St r,, t henna dir! ' pivch oiler.-- food for s> a Lion t liroiighou; the r ami iomesue ira.de policy for tile l.iiipire m a mutua 1 luis;s. Mr Copeland raid that, the speech Vie (lie most, important made in the nterests of the Umpire for many ears, and portrays a far-reaching lmneri.il poltcv. Dace a Customs Union -Aas e->tahlislied it. Would conserve Imperial trade in Imperial channels, instead ot scattering it broadcast among nations anxious to strangle our trade in their own interests. Kngland, ho said, had never inul fl eet fade. She only h.,d a tree purchasing market, ami not. d fil'd selling market. Manv Unionist metnhers of the House of Commons hope that .the new policy \v,ll he maintained in the front oi the programme. '1 he Liberal leaders intend to lone an early deha to to obtain a definition of the Government position. CAULS. May 10. A high Kreneh otliehil state.; in.it; Mr Chamherlaiit's policy eoueet Ungland and her colonies alone. -No foreign State is justified in taking umbrage at whatever decision is arrived at. MULUOUUNU, May 2". Sir Krimuml Barton, Premier of the Australian CommimwcalUi, lias cabled the following remarks on Mr Chamberlain's speceii to London : —■ “ i fail to see wny all the friends of tile cohesion of the Lmpire should not agree with Mr Chamberlain's utterance. Lor the first time it is laid down by a powerful British .Minister that the United Kingdom ought not. to stand by and see any part, <d Greater Britain punished by foreigners for preferring kinsmen , that the interests of the partners in the. Umpire are paramount, over fiscal theories ; that threats of retaliation are made on the assumption of a contrary view, and it would be idle vapouring if the whole Umpire were prepared to defend its cohesion I trade as \yell as of territory. the principle of I'reelrade is not annum: ! because in its appreciation we cannot ignore the fact that great, colonies like Canada and Australia must necessarily raise huge Customs tr.\en ties, and at the same time protect, their own industries within the operation of that, necessity. 1 liete is room for trade preference in I lie productions of the Umpire, whether in

food supply or finished maiiufactuies. It is idle I o sav that Ihe preference to he effective must amount to prohibition m fore gn imports. That Canada’s preference has been effective Germany admits by her threats, vet Canada does not by nny means prohibit importation from Germany.

VARIOUS COMMENTS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Received 10.25 piu., May 20 Berlin, May 20. .Most of the newspapers, except tho Agrarian pan-German, counsel moderation and increase of protection gently in proportion to Canada’s penalizing of German goods. „ r Vienna, May 20. Tho semi-official Fremdenblatl, Vienna, says that Mr Chamberlain's speech is one of the weightiest, of recent times, possibly marking an important turning point,in tbo Empire's expansion. Modern England considers Germany her greatest adversary, while nothing is said of America, whoso competition is at least as keen. Mr Chamberlain is not so Utopian as to forcsco absolute free-trade between the Colonics and the Motherland, but may succeed in securing preferential tariffs between parts of the Empire, with aggressive antics ugainst tlio outside world.

Received 11.17 p.m., May 20. London, May 20,

Lord Rosebery, speaking at Burnley, said that while lie did not think freo trado part of the Sermon on tho Mount, tho question was whether it was wise to change the fiscal policy without long and deep consideration. Ho urged tho uecessity, before there was any change, of holdjug a real business conference of the ablest financial and commercial experts of Dritain and the colonies, to study the ptu.-iea-bility of reciprocal tariffs. He feared that Britain would be a target under the reciprocity system. There would be many colonial demands for modification and rectification.

Received 1 a,in., May 21,

Berlin. May 20. German newspapers, now that the full text of Mr Chamberlain’s speech is available, are particularly impressed with Mr Chamberlain’s emphasizing tho statement that if Canada is definitely told ttie Motherland can do nothing in tho way of reciprocity, Canada must reconsider the position and reconsider tho preference already given. They are also impressed with Mr Chamberlain declaring it the business of British statesmen to do everything possible, even at some present sacrifice, to keep the trade of tho colonies with tho Motherland, increase and promote it, even to lessen trade with foreign competitors, and without attempting to force tho colonies, to cordially appreciate and meet everything they can do in the matter of preference. London, May 20. The Morning Post says that Lord Rosebery, on tariff matters, is an opportunist, similar to a growing body of electors, which fact makes him hesitate to follow Mr Chamberlain. The Daily Chronicle interprets Lord Rosebery asking for tangible proposals to be with tho view of getting details beforo combatting with authority. The Daily News thinks that Liberal tradition ought to suffice to nictate an unhesitating declaration that Mr Chamberlain’s policy is a policy of delusion and imposture. It asks if it is possible that Rosebery is looking to Chamberlain, or Chamberlain to Rosebery for assistance in pushing the new doctrine.