SPEECH BY MR CHAMBERLAIN

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11790, 13 January 1904, Page 9

SPEECH BY MR CHAMBERLAIN

IX ATTACK ON HIE RADICALS. f, : LORD ROSEBERY DERIDED. cX (Received January 12th, 11.55 p.m.) LONDON, January 12. Speaking at a banquet given by tlie BirV wtagham jewellers and silvcrsuuths, Mr ■ X Chamberlain warmly eulogissd the sagacity ,

|V of the colonic in so quickly recognising |'/ end so splendidly responding to their Imp"- perial responsibilities in the late v.-ar. He } said it was time the British people took L »ore count of tie colonies, lb wae no ' ; longer possible to consider them as a V' negligible factor in the world'a history. Britain must consult them more fret quently, and abandon some of her antis i «juated prejudices in order to meet tlieir ~. ! ~ viewe. "'j" Our Empire, he continued, contained all '$': tb* elements of strength. It -was permaoent/bufin solution; our duty was to '*:, #ry»Uli»e and eolidify it. He claimed v that the Tariff Commission was the most }> remarkable representation of trade aiid ; V industry ever constituted in Britain. k The.speaker confidently reiterated that *■: British exports to protected countries were either stagnant or diminished. They were ■If (o successfully excluded thot nothing en- || tered but odds and ends—articles which 34- vera admitted on special grounds. Only '§i our increasing colonial trade had averted *| the sharpest commercial experience of the \- century, for both our colonial and Homo t'-. markets were threatened. Possibly a % mere distributing empire, the home of §£/millionaires ? nd tueir dependants, wi*h |r po productive industries, might be richer '& then at present, but certainly not greater. ijjkjUwady the imports of foreign protected S.saaufactures exceeded British exports to

*: protected countries. The people who ex- & claimed that we were so prosperous were living in a fool's paradise. s i Mr Chamberlain, continuing, eaid that if !/ tt« Cobdenitee were correct, countries im- % paring 25. *o> **& 10& P* r cent ' 'f'; wight to be ' xwned.-,< Yet they were i» ." «s«np«tH»s.'*^ l^^^i^°l MUtra l markets, §"'•& in Aβ colonies" where our kinsfolk's |? prejudices and sentiments were altogether |C' ia our favour. A scientific tariff was need-fL-ed to protect the home market, to enable !«* to deal on equal terms with protected nations, to take advantage of the Imperial ■ tentiment, and to lay a firm and permanent foundation of empire. 6uch a policy would not only ensure immediate prosperity for • thi» generation, but would construct a great Imperial dominion on which would depend the civilisation and peace of the world. The Opposition declared that he was the evil genius of his countrymen, yet they w«to coming iwafer\to hie views. Lord Bowbery's reconuneiidation of commercial «■• repose would be greeted with derision. No % limpet dung to rfca rock more closely than §,' did the modern Radical to the wisdom of k bis ancestors. Yet the problem of iho unI' employed was coming ,hoove to them. I' -It waft difficult to argue in the

% 'House of Commons in the same §„' -breatia that twelve millions were ron th* verge of hunger, and justify v cotitmuance of tho existing commercial |; \ iygtem. The Radicals were beginning to P_ admit that there were cracks and crevices £- 'even in the edifice of our magnificent prosy, perity. Instead of building boldly from intide with ties of iron, they recommended ai- a plaster conting—metric systems and c Charlottenburg echools. Finding that the s ~- common-sense of the- country rejected such si remedies, they had begun to whisper rek. Wiation.