EMPIRE'S TRADE.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 943, 16 July 1903, Page 4

EMPIRE'S TRADE.

WHY GERMANY CHANGED FRONT.

By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. . LONDON, July 14.

A committee of Unionist Freetraders, of which Sir Michael HicksBeach is president, has organised a Free Food League, with offices at 15 Victoria streee. The committee unanimously resolved that with a view to securing a full debate on the preferential tariff suggestions of the, Government, Mr Henry llobhouse shall move in the House of Commons a resolution calling attention to Mr Chamberlain’s proposal, and asking for the production of papers at the earliest moment. A Freetrade Union has been formed. Mr Arnold Morley, president, said it was intended to urge that Mr Chamberlain’s policy is certain to complicate trade relations with the colony, and endanger the stability of the Empire. The members of the Union include the Earl of Aberdeen, Mr Asquith, Earl Beauchamp, Lord Carrington, Sir W. V. Harcourt, Mr John Morley, the Marquis of Ripon, Sir George Trevelyan, Sir H. C. Bannerman, and Sir Edward Grey» , a new body called the Tariff Reform League has absorbed the re-cently-established Tariff League. The offices are at No. 7, Pall Mall. The object of the Tariff Reform League is to promulgate Mr Chamberlain s policy and begin a wide-spread dissemination'of information. The Duke of Sutherland is president of the Tariff Reform League. Sir Robert Gifien, the Government Statistician, in a letter to the Times, suggests holding an enquiry into how, far the self-governing colonies are really protectionist. He declares that the amount of the Empire’s whole production, receiving the shelter of tariffs, does not exceed one three-thous ! andth part, ana allowing for protection, one hundredth part of Australia s produc-

Sir R.. Gifien adds that the increased purchasing powers of the colonies, from any reduction of their duties,, would not necessarily be devoted to the purchase of additional British manufactures. Mr Grainger, Agent-General lor South Australia, in a letter to the Times, replying to a letter from Sir W. .V. f jarcourt and others, says no man in Australia or New. Zealand asks for fa tax on wool or meat, but a reconsideration of the duties. Mr Grainger adds that if the colonies receive preference from Great Britain, they would gladly return to the Motherland the amount of duties she collected on colonial products This amount, whether applied to the army or navy, would be a saving to the taxpayers of the Motherland. I A Blue Book issued, covering the correspondence from May 1, 1897, to July Bth, 1903, elucidates Lord Lansdowne’s revelation, cable.d on the 6th. Owing to the South African colonies going into line with Canada, Count Richthofen, the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, wrote stating he feared that if the Australian colonies did likewise, the conclusion of a new treaty with Great Britain, on the basis of favored nation treatment, would be endangered. .■■■, Lord Lansdowne replied that if .Germany, persisted in her attitude a very wide and serious issue was inevitable, affecting the fiscal relations of both Empires.

Count Richthofen thereafter expressed readiness to exchange ideas regarding a method of obviating the present differences,-and he invited .Great Britain to make suitable proposals. Lord Lansdowne replied that Great Britain .would certainly be ready to approach the discussion in the most considerate spirit. rihe Times declares that Germany, relying on our inability, to retaliate, threatens to interfere with our internal affairs. ,The change ox front coincided with significant affairs an Great Britain. Lord Lansdowne showed that Germany was illogical, and that it was impossible to retaliate on Great Britain for the acts of the colonies, if the colonies were considered simultaneously, fiscally autonomous and independent; but Lord ' Lansdowne contends that Great Britain and the colonies must ,be considered fiscally together. ■