'THERE have been some complaints in the more serious papers at, home, that while the politicians, from Mr. Joseph Chamberlain down, have entered with fullness and zest into the discussion of the proposed resumption of the worn-out garments of Protection that were thrown aside sixty years ago, British merchants and manufacturers, to whom the change is of special interest, have been so astounded at the proposal, that they have not yet found their voices so that their opinions may be heard. This makes the more interesting the exposition, which we reprinted yesterday from the " Times of Ceylon," of the views of a typical Birmingham manufacturer like Mr. Arthur Chamberlain, who is at any rate thoroughly impartial, for he allows that the adoption of Protection would be advantageous to himself personally, though most disadvantageous to the country as a whole. There are some very important statements in Mr. Arthur Chamberlain's exposition, and it is to be hoped that it will be copied into the home ers.
ethaps the most important is the statement that Mr. Joseph Chamberlain was.a Free Trader until a year ago; and again, "Mr, Arthur Chamberlain sa.d he himself had not the faintest notion, twelve months ago, that his brother wa: going in for Protection. It took everybody by surprise, he said, even his own col-Teagues. On the same day that he was suggesting a tax on food, Mr. Balfour was ree: iving " deputation of farmers, and defending the taking off of the shilling duty on corn.'" None but the blind worshippers of Mr. Joseph Chamberlain as the strong wan in Mr. Balfour's Cabinet, have ever doubted that his sudden introduction of fiscal reform as the pressing topic of the time, was intended to draw off the attention of the public from the report of the War Commission and the shortcomings of the Government generally, and this is now confirmed by the testimony of his own brother.
should be noted that Mr. Arthur Chamberlain speaks in the highest terms of his brother, while entirely disagreeing with him on this one joint. He speaks of "the enormous influence which my brother possesses people;" Ge says: "Nothing but his—end rightly possesses—with the enormous influence, great genius, and personal popularity has given the proposal even the chance of a hear-Hing." Mr. Joseph Chamberlain has shown himself so essentially a demavogue in his recent speeches, in his promises to the working-men, for Instance, that if she country a: lopts his new protection, every workingman will have regular employment at high wages, that we are not surprised at his constant repetition of the cry [that everybody who supports him is an Imperialist, and every opponent a Little Englander, He cannot sce that the real Little Englander is tne man who declares that his country is decaying and can no longer compete in the markets of the world without artificial assistance; and that the true Imperialist is the man who says with Mr. Arthur Chamberlain:—"Take England as a whole, there was never a time when she was more competent than she is now to hold her own against the whole world. Our manufactures have increased, our exports have increased, our imports have increased, Our reserves of gold have enormously increased. The returns from our income-tax have multiplied several times within the last 30 years. The wages of our work-people have gone up largely. Their working hours have been reduced largely. Their purchasing power has increased enormously. Every statistic by which you can test the nation's progress shows that Eny-land has been progressing with giant strides during the last 30 years. We have made England what it is because of our independence, our energy, and our adaptability; and, when once we cease relying on those qualities, then, indeed, you may begin to fear that the sun of England is going to set, but not till then. John Bull is as vigorous as ever, with larger ideas, and he is making ready for great social reforms"
The real Little Englander is the man who holds with Joseph Chamberlain that the. Colonies will break away from us unless we grant them preferences, while the real Imp rialist is the brother who says "Ridiculous! The loyalty of the Colonies is due to their respect and love for the Mother country—an entirely sentiment al feeling, you may say. It is not due to pounds, shillings, and pence. I would not give anything for the loyalty which was of such a quality. What greater proof of the Colonies' loyally than the South African War? We had no talk of preference to our Colonies then, and yet, absolutely unasked, the Colonies sprang to arms. Iam perfectly certain that these efforts to make artificial business arrangements between people of different interests are more likely to produce separation than union."
The real Little Englander—always using this term as Joseph Chamberlain does, as one of reproach—is the Englishman who is all ofa tremble because the foreign commerce of Germany has made vast strides in the las. thirty years. The real Impenalist is the man who takes the broad view that Arthur Chamberlain enunciates "Well, men should welcome that. The richer other nations are the more they will be able to buy from us, But, beyond that general statement of the case, it is natural that the Germans, who were doing nothing at all before the war of 1870, should make enormous strides when they were welded by that war into one great nation, something like sixty millions of people with Free Trade within their own borders,"
And Germany has still a great deal of leeway to make up. The total exports from the United incom in 1901 were valued at £6 14s. 10d. per head of the population. From Germany the total exports were under £4 per head.
But we do not propose to reprint again this morning the whole of Mr. Arthur Chamberlain's deliverance, though it will well bear re-reading. His opinion, we are convinced, is sound: "Protection would be the most deadly blow that England's commercial supremacy has ever suffered since the time of Peel... Lam firmly convinced that free exchange of commodities is the very best thing possible for England. It is best for the world, but even if the rest of the, world does not adopt it, still it is best for England."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.