26 NOVEMBER 1898, Page 2

Mr. Asquith, speaking at Sunderland on Wednesday, neatly characterised our

true policy in Africa, as in the Far East, as

"not the policy of privilege or protection, not the polio of discrimination or exclusion, but the policy of open riven open ports, and equal opportunities for the commerce an the capital of the whole civilised world." He went on t twit Mr. Chamberlain with not having acted up to the itez, of the unauthorised programme, especially as regards Dia establishment and Sir William Harcourt's famous Budget and quoted speeches made by Mr. Chamberlain some ten la twelve years ago. Mr. Asquith also tried to drive home hI accusation that the Government, before obtaining office, hai promised to deal with old-age pensions and had not done so and repudiated Mr. Chamberlain's claim that the Tories wee the pioneers of social reform. He also attacked the resew Compensation for Accidents Act as creating a privilege minority among the workmen. We suppose that all this good electioneering, but we must confess to finding it a littl( dull, both in Mr. Chamberlain and in Mr. Asquith. In fact the only really important and significant thing about Mr Asquith's speech was his omission to tell us clearly what the policy which his party is now advocating. Note, too that Mr. Asquith said nothing in repudiation of Sir Metal Fowler's declaration as to Home-rule, which shows that it it the view of the party leaders, and not merely of an individual