IMPERIAL IMPOSTURE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 82, 7 April 1933, Page 6

IMPERIAL IMPOSTURE

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l appreciate the candour of Mr. F. W. Doidge in the letter appearing in your issue of Thursday, in course of which, by the way, my name is mentioned twelve times. With engaging frankness, your correspondent admits that Lord Beaverbrook's policy, if it comes to pass, means that the British Empire will be permanently engaged in a fiscal war with so much of the world as lies" beyond its boundaries. I may point out that, although. Lord 'Beaverbrook hag reiterated that he wants complete Freetrade as between the component parts of the Empire inter se, yet his emissaries, apparently to placate the Dominions, hasten to assure us that the scheme implies no interference with the liberty we enjoy of waging fiscal warfare amongst ourselves. Surely our Crusader is a disciple of Janus, or should I say, Mr. Facing-Both-Ways? At one time we ,are asked to contemplate the British Empire at fiscal peace within its own borders, enjoying completely unshackled commerce, but with a tariff wall

against Russians, Danes, Americans, and j other undesirables. Next we are assured that New Zealand can still continue to tax Australian wheat, or to place an embargo on Australian cherries, and that each o£ the Dominions will still be free to levy Customs taxation on British goods. "Keep the money in the family, says Mr. Doidge, reiterating the ,well : worn, tariff-mongering clap-trap. That _is to say, we are to have complete unity and fiscal peace with Sudanese Dervishes, Egyptian fellahs, and Bengalese ryots, but we are to be at fiscal war with the rest of the world, including the American Commonwealth, which contains the great majority of English-speaking people! I regard such a scheme as unspeakably odious, and it would indeed be contemptible and beneath notice were it not for the fact that powerful interests are merely using it as a smoke-screen to re-establish Protection in England. Anyhow, if our Crusading emissary wants the fullest opportunity to ventilate his subject, Tarn his man. 1 understand that Mr. Doidge is shortly to favour this city with his presence, and m that event I am quite prepared to meet him in public debate. Is he willing?—l am, etc., ■ ' p O . REGA^ ' April 7.