At the annual general meeting of the Cobden Club held
at the National Liberal Club on Tuesday, Lord Farrer. after criticising Mr. Chamberlain's proposals for commercial federation and declaring that they had fallen flat, went on to praise Mr. Chamberlain's recent speech at Birmingham. Mr. Chamberlain was one of the most teachable of men, and was taught by events. After quoting the Colonial Secretary's remarks as to our policy of developing new countries and holding them as trustees for the commerce of the world, a policy which had made our Colonies the only profitable Colonies in the world, Lord Farrer declared that the Cobden Club could not have made "a better pronouncement of principles." To Mr. Chamberlain's statement showing that the increase of German exports into our Colonies was in no sense developing by leaps and bounds, Lord Farrer added the fact that the imports into Germany from our Colonies amount to seven and a half millions sterling, "which showed how dangerous it might be to our Colonies to put an end to the treaties with Germany which had been so much complained of."
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