an independent Canada would
have been involved in wars of her own, it was also certain, as an
actual fact, that through her connection with Britain she had been
involved in wars that were not her own. All such ideas and forces not
only ran counter to Mr Chamberlain's new imperialism, but set a
stumbling-block in the path of any rapid progress in defence upon
national lines. The unwillingness of the British authorities to
sanction Dominion fleets equally blocked progress along the most
promising path.

As to commercial relations, Mr Chamberlain {205} stated that his ideal
was 'free trade within the Empire,' presumably with a common customs
tariff against all foreign countries. This proposal met with no
support. None of the colonies was prepared to open its markets to the
manufacturers of the United Kingdom. For the present, protection was
their universal policy. It was recommended, however, that those
colonies which had not done so should follow Canada's example in giving
a preference to British goods, and that the United Kingdom should in
turn grant a preference to the colonies by exemption from or reduction
of duties then or thereafter imposed. Mr Chamberlain belittled the
value of the preference already given by Canada. The Canadian
ministers had no difficulty in showing the unfairness of his
conclusion. The preference, which had been increased to thirty-three
and a third per cent, and made to apply specifically to Great Britain
and to such other parts of the Empire as would reciprocate, had not
only arrested the previous steady decline in imports from Great
Britain, but had led to a substantial growth in these imports. Canada
would agree, however, to go further, and grant some increased
preference if Britain would reciprocate. These proposals for
reciprocal {206} preference turned upon the fact that, as a war revenue
measure, the British Government had recently imposed a duty of a
shilling a quarter upon wheat. A few months later the tax was
abolished, and reciprocal preference again became merely an academic
topic.

Canada, still leading the way in the matter of commercial relations,
secured the passing of a resolution favouring cheap postage rates on
newspapers and periodicals between different parts of the Empire.
Already in 1898, Canada had lowered the rates on letters to any part of
the Empire from five to two cents per half-ounce, and her example had
been widely followed.

For the much cry the