Leading Articles in the Reviews. 



551 



"PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM." 



War — OR Tariff Reform ! 

 The Duke of Westminster contributes to the 

 Nineteenth Century a paper full of youthful hope 

 and courage and dogmatism on " Practical 

 Imperialism." It is refreshing to find this pluto- 

 cratic peer feeling himself the mouthpiece of the 

 new democracy. 



democracy's imperial temper. 



He says that after the glorious period of the 

 Napoleonic wars came a great reaction, when 

 the middle classes came to power, Free Trade 

 was introduced, and a sentiment frankly hostile 

 to the Empire arose. But now : — 



The rule of the middle class has come to an end. 

 Democracy has arrived. A democratic national policy has 

 taken the place of the ancient utilitarianism, and 

 Imperialism is merely the latest, and I think the highest, 

 incarnation of our democratic nationalism. It is a con 

 scious manifestation of the solidarity of the race. 

 British Imperialism is not, as its opponents assert, an 

 empty, vain-glorious, and aggressive policy advocated by 

 "Jingoes," by the aristocracy, the leisured classes, and 

 the Army. It is a thoroughly democratic policy. This 

 can be seen by the fact that it is strongest not in these 

 islands, but in our most democratic possessions. Impe- 

 rialism, contrary to widely held opinion, is democratic, 

 peaceful, and utilitarian in the best sense of the word, 

 for it is useful and necessary. 



The Duke reminds us that a nation can only 

 be secure if its armed strength is commensurate 

 with its possessions. 



OUR EMPIRE A SEA EMPIRE. 



The British Empire is by far the largest 



Empire which the world has seen. Yet it is 



most vulnerable from the sea, and the largest 



towns of tie British Empire lie close to the 



sea : — 



The British Empire is a sea empire. It depends for its 

 livelihood very largely upon the sea. The value of its 

 sea-borne trade should in the present year amount to the 

 stupendous sum of ;^2, 000, 000, 000. The British Empire 

 possesses one-half of the world's shipping. We may say 

 that one-half of the world's trade is carried under the 

 British flag. Out of every two ships which sail the ocean 

 one flies the British flag. Our merchant marine will 

 therefore be exposed to enormous losses in time of war 

 unless our Navy is overwhelmingly strong. The British 

 Empire does not possess the sea, but it has certainly a 

 predominant interest on all seas. 



UNITED KINGDOM ALONE BEATEN, 



The Duke draws the natural corollary that the 

 Motherland and Colonies require for their pro- 

 tection a fleet strong enough to meet any pos- 

 sible combination of Powers. The United 

 Kingdom alone cannot supply this : — 



The longest purse can buy the strongest fleet. It is 

 impossible for 45,000,000 Englishmen to maintain the 

 two-Power standard against 66,000,000 Germans and some 



other prosperous nation. There is a limit to the taxation 

 which the people can bear. The two-Power standard has 

 been abandoned. 



The Empire requires for its security an Imperial Army 

 and an Imperial Fleet, paid for out of an Imperial 

 exchequer, and controlled and directed by an Imperial 

 Government. The defence of the Empire must be orga- 

 nised. But only the unification of the Empire will make 

 possible the creation of an adequate organisation. 



WAR OR A ZOLLVEREIN, 



How, then, are we to weld the Empire 

 together? " Nothing would more quickly and 

 more thoroughly weld together the British 

 Empire than a war in which Great Britain and 

 the Dominions would have to fight for their very 

 existence." Happily, blood and iron are not the 

 only cement of Empire, " A common tariff- 

 protected market is apt to convert a number of 

 loosely united States into a firmly-knit common- 

 wealth," A common tariff and a valuable mar- 

 ket reserved to members of the union not only 

 cause States to combine, but make their union 

 permanent. 



THE PANACEA. 



Mr, Chamberlain has provided us with the 

 practical Imperial policy. " Tariff Reform will 

 stimulate industry in Great Britain, raise wages 

 and improve employment, and a system of Impe- 

 rial preferences will knit the Empire together in 

 bonds of interest." We are furthermore 

 informed that " after nine years of ceaseless 

 agitation, the truly Imperial policy of Tariff 

 Reform promises to triumph at the next elec-- 

 tion." 



The Duke laments that the Imperial policy of 

 Tariff Reform has been allowed to become a 

 Party question. But this policy " stands high 

 above Party." There are two kinds of Im- 

 perialism — armchair Imperialism and practical 

 Imperialism. The Liberal Imperialists are un- 

 fortunately only armchair Imperialists, 



THE SINEWS OF WAR, 



The practical upshot of this practical Imperial- 

 ism is " Pay, pay, pay," The article is written 

 to secure support for the campaign : — 



In a few weeks a very large sum has been subscribed. 

 This sum is to be the nucleus of a fund which, it is hoped, 

 will eventually reach seven figures. It will in course of 

 time become a great Imperial foundation. It will support 

 every Imperial movement and endeavour worthy of sup- 

 port throughout the Empire. The income derived from 

 it will be used in assisting the activity of the numerous 

 excellent organisations in every part of the Empire which 

 are truly Imperialist in aim and spirit, which try to 

 advance the interests of the British Empire and to elevate 

 the British race. 



Whatever we may think of the Duke's 

 specific, we can only welcome his democratic 

 ardour and sanguine hopes. 



