Britain. It was time, therefore, that our Government was armed
with the power—possessed by nearly every other Government—to tell foreign nations that the conditions applied to our trade would regulate our treatment of their trade. The Colonies had shown a desire to strengthen their connection with the Mother-country by Preferential trading, and if we rejected their overtures other Powers would welcome them. In reply to a question whether he was a follower of Mr. J. Chamberlain or Mr. Balfour, the Chancellor of the Exchequer replied that he had no difficulty in following them both. On the principle that the greater contains the less, such a declaration is intelligible enough ; but it is evident from recent speeches of Mr. Austen Chamberlain's colleagues that they are not all equally endowed with this capacity of reconciliation.
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