The Thames Star. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, DECEMBER I7, 1903. CHAMBERLAIN'S MESSAGE TO THE COLONIES.

Thames Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 10501, 17 December 1903, Page 2

The Thames Star. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1903. CHAMBERLAIN'S MESSAGE TO THE COLONIES.

We were iiteoently informed 'by cable ■that iMk* Ghamibetiiaiin'ei speecthi ait lynemouth contained! ai message to the colonies. The pioneer of the preferential trade .policy .took occasion itio 'repudiate emiphaitiijcially thei idteiai thait he hadi ever proposed ithat the colonies ahouiLd arrest their own industrial development in order Ho seciumei ctetnijaioi adivasniagesl for .thei Mother! Country- Asi there has been a 1 good detail- of misunderstanding as to wbaifc the ham. gentleman areally did flay, at Glasgow;, and as the matter .vitally .affects his whole scheme, I it Ls 'important that the position he jtiakes ttp in regard to colonial industries should to irnade quite clear. In hiLsi Tynemouitlh speech Mr Cihaimr ■berlaiiini aalidl: "We are toldl two things: W© shall ask far too' maiab, and they (the colonies) will give nn too little!. There has bean a misrepresentation as to something, I said 1 iand I wanti what I say now to go to the odlionie* Thisi is what they (his opponents) say: That my proposal is thati itihe Colonies' arei to enter into a teelif-d'enyinig iordjiniainice,. never air amy time and in any cirauimstanoea to extend the nuimiber of their miamu* factureris, or to .conquer new fields jolf 'cioinitrHercie, in competition with Great Britain. 'Now, faicietiousnessi ia all very well, buit it goes too far when it gives effeicifc to suicih a gross- misce* presentation &S that- Of oour.se, the object is perfectly clear. It is to aay to the colonies;, who haive been workingl for tbemiseilvesi, who are with ma almost ito ai •msma.', it isi to make them believe that I ami blind 1 to their natural conditions, to their own necessities, and thialti I ami prep«ined: to B'tioj> their progress, close it down absolutely and arbitrarily, in order to secure certain advantage® for this country • I havei never said amythinig of tha kind. The colonist® know! that under no circtumsbanctesl do I wani *o interfere with, their <ooimimiercial freedlotn any moriei than I shouldl Hike (them to interfere with, our 'ciamimeiv oiaJ freedom. We haivle given them full power to decide for theoaselvea ais to what their fiscal policy should ba When we come together in negotiation ■we shall see how far wet can arrange our. fiscal policies* to siuit mutual interests- Mr Chamberlain proceeded to say he thought that the colonies wouildi give England a; pn'©ferenoe over the foreigner. Besides that, he t'houighit they would' be inclined in all future tariff arr.amgemenits to proceed upon vrhast he might call natural rather 1 tliara airtifioial lines. "By natural ilanes.," he explained "I mea.ni itliat our country should, of coturses ba alJowed, and, in faicifc, -en,■ciou.rag!ed:, to .mianuif.aiot.uire for itself all for which it has special facilities 1, biuit it 'shiouild not be encouraged' to mianuifarature for" itsetlif thiingsi which wouildi really cost more to manufacture than to buiy, things for which it has no " particular" aiptitudt-, and wlnich ib may well take up in ei'iqhainige( Imv ot'hqfr articles whjicih it cam miotre faivoraibly produce. That Is \ an ariguimient, and I put it only as aw hiljgjuimieniti, that ■will appeal to ouit 1 aoloniists', wiho are 1 quiTtie as sihrewd and quite as bu^sinesiSHlike as ourselves- Between theaa. two fchiimga—-be-tweeen the preference they will give us over foreigners and .between that ipfortfiolnl of theiir njetcessitiesl whiroh they, wiltf sitSll 6a ready to see supplied from! ilia—there will be left to us a constantly i.ncrea«Lng tradie, whiictrl -will addj enormously to emh iploymiemt mc thisi ctotumtiry) and) will ■benefit the United Kingdom in oither ways, Whichl -will make fuill amends for any loss, if there be aijossst, WiRHi we may suffer ;in ouir 1 traide with foreign countries. Now, if you will giva ito the British. Government the; mandate 1 for which! T a,slk, they'wiilli negot itkite with the coloniesi I say to those . menl of fain* heartl, who: thSnik tihat the colomies wiU act' tool maeiM, at will b& prepaned to give «oi little, do nob 15e aJarmued-.H that fa realty thda* position, if you are «s selfish as; you think them, as umreasonaWe as you say they are, well, we are not fools. In that ciaec tihe negotiation will ic-oinre} to noth.injb!. W© djo not aiaE you, th© .people 1 of this country, to gfote aaytlhimg for notil-rang 1, Wt we say that wfoa* you "will 1 give will be met by what they give, and! tha* the bargain fe al .Wau-gainl that bemeifits both eid'es."