British imperialism and commercial supremacy

Author's Preface To The English Edition

Je ne voudrais aj outer que deux mots de preface a la traduction que M. H. W. Foskett veut bien presenter au public anglais de mon livre : VAngleterre et F Imperialisme.

Aor^Mw

V AUTHOR'S PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION

pas que la force est un remfede ; c'est au contraire que la force n'est rien, quand elle ne salt pas se plier aux calculs de la raison, aux methodes de la science, au service de I'liumanite.

Force is no remedy, disaient avec justesse les vieux radicaux. Science is remedy, doivent dire les neo-radicaux anglais.

V. B.

Paris, January, 1906,

TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

The subject with which this book deals is one of vital importance to all the civilised nations of the world.

At the present time, the antagonistic opinions of Free Trade on the one hand, and Protection, Fair Trade, Preference to the Colonies on the other, are shaking to its very foundations the economic structure on which commercial Great Britain has rested and flourished undisturbed for the past fifty years. Under these circumstances, the comprehensive survey made by M. Victor B6rard of the commercial and industrial situation of Great Britain among the leading communities of the day, must undoubtedly appeal to the intelligence of all thinking Britons. If the caustic strictures applied to the British nation by this clever French writer are wholly unmerited, the object of them can afford with lofty unconcern to continue on the even tenor of her way, but if, on the contrary, as there is every reason to fear, they are not altogether unmerited, then every opportunity should be seized for laying the truth, however unpalatable, before the British public. Every attempt made in this direction, to encourage timely and widespread reflection, must aid in discovering the remedies vi TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE

capable of meeting so serious a state of affairs if it exists, or at any rate in postponing for many a long day the dreaded cataclysm. To emphasise the evident necessity for a thorough application of modern scientific methods — if modern economic problems are to be successfully solved — quite apart from the burning question as to the respective merits of Protection and Free Trade, is the sole aim of the translator in presenting an English version of VAngleterre et r Imperialisme,

H. W. F.

London, January, 1906.

Contents

PAGE

Teanslatoe's Preface v-vi

JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN.

CHAPTER I. "I come to you from Birmingham. "

The Midlands and English Radicalism 1-8

The Political Union op Biemingham and Manchester . . 8-12

Chapter II

" On the face of it there are perfectly honourable reasons to explain my conduct."

The Municipal Career of J. Chamberlain .... 13-19 The Constructive Radical in the Commons .... 19-25 The Liberal Alliance and the Unionist Arrangement . . 25-35

CHAPTER III. " All men are qualified to commit crimes."

Egoism, Ignoeance op Neo-Radicalism 36-38

Science and Inteenational Disinterestedness op the Old

. School 38-41

IMPERIALISM.

Chapter I

•' I raise my glass to Commerce and the Empire.** %»" World-wide Empire and Imperialism of Aristocrats, Doctrinaires, AND Litterateurs 42-47

J v^,^C'tilitarian and Commercial Imperialism .... 47-53 viii CONTENTS

CHAPTER II. " Our iron, our cloths, our cotton and even our jewelry."

'v^The Midlands and the Decline of the Iron Industry . •^fl)bclinb of commerce, the german and american dangers

M^Markets ! Markets

CHAPTER ni.

" Insular Conservatism must be renounced."

"•9^ The Unionist and Imperialist Citizen, Routinist and Monopolist

The Small Employers and the Big Gentlemen of Birmingham

PROTECTION.

PAGE

54-63 63-71

72.7:

CHAPTER I.

■ All information tends to prove the displacement of commerce at the expense of England."

Liverpool, the Port of Europe

Decline of Liverpool after the Year 1872

91-99 99-103

CHAPTER II.

"The opening of the Suez Canal has entirely changed our commerce."

Laisser Faire and Prosperity 104-109 V

The Crisis, the Rise of Germany and the Suez Canal . . 109-126

Chapter III

^ *' This^is the first official departure from the doctrine of luisser faire "

English Theory of German Force 127-130

/^'Free Trade, Freer Trade, Fair Trade 131-138 ^

FREE TRADE.

W

CHAPTER I. *' We see in Free Trade a vital necessity, an Imperial necessity. Manchester and Cotton vf^^^OEK, Peace, and Liberty

. 139-149 . 149-151 \

Vli

GOHTENTS ix

CHAPTER n.

"We have entirely tranrfonned oar methods."

PAQS

Thb Tbxxelb LrotiSERT 152-157

PANBRITANNISM.

CHAPTER L

''TSke pexam and the landlcxd, the land and the Church, nohiHty and ^atoczai^ are about to coalesee."

FKKIAUSM 182-185

CHAPTER n.

** I refuae to apeak of the United States as a foreign nadtioB. "

AmEKIGAM COMPEXRHNT 200-206

Yaxkbb MnALLUBST 206-210

GERMAN RATIONALISM.

CHAPTER L

m

'We hare a striking example in the Gennan Empire."

i ^"^-^BBMASTY'S Si

V

J

CHAPTER n. ', perfect ocgaaiaaliNi, modeni eqnipraenl^ and oondBatory

Gekmast ScsEjf cx 239-247

FoBKiQS LAsranjAGES 2^-251

GEBKAJf SoLEDABirr 251-258

X CONTENTS

ENGLISH EMPIEICISM.