PROBLEMS OF EMPIRE.
duced, and for many years afterwards. But I do not believe it is a sound policy for this country to-day. The conditions have absolutely changed, and the reason that has had more influence, perhaps, than any other in making me change my opinion is the enormous industrial progress during the last twenty, and more especially during the last ten years, of France, Germany, and the United States since they adopted a more highly Protectionist policy, as compared with the relative stagnation in our own case.
Policy of the Government.Mr. Balfour asks for power to deal with the hostile tariffs at present imposed upon the products of this country by foreign countries. That, possibly, is as far as this country was prepared to go at the beginning of last week. But since the speech delivered by Mr. Chamberlain at Glasgow on Tuesday last, followed by that which he delivered at Greenock, I am not at all sure that the country is not prepared to go a little further. I am in favour of Mr. Balfour's policy, but I have even a greater feeling in favour of the policy advocated by Mr. Chamberlain. Mr. Balfour's policy by itself is of no value to agriculture. It will not tend to check the decline of our agricultural population. It will not tend to make the Empire more self-supporting with regard to its food supply we should be in great danger from that point of view if we were ever involved in war with a foreign Power and it will not tend to the consolidation of the Empire. I support Mr. Balfour's policy in the interests of the manufacturing districts of the country. But as an Imperialist, and as the would-be representative of an agricultural constituency, I support the policy of Mr. Chamberlain
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