the canadian dominion-第38部分

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sh　rule；　and　in　this　attitude　they　were　strengthened　by　the　almost　unanimous　verdict　of　the　neutral　world　against　British　policy。　Laurier　tried　to　steer　a　middle　course；　but　the　attacks　of　ultra…imperialists　in　Ontario　and　of　ultra…nationalists　in　Quebec；　led　henceforward　by　a　brilliant　and　eloquent　grandson　of　Papineau；　Henri　Bourassa；　hampered　him　at　every　turn。　The　South　African　War　gave　a　new　unity　to　English…speaking　Canada；　but　it　widened　the　gap　between　the　French　and　English　sections。

The　part　which　Australia　and　New　Zealand；　like　Canada；　had　taken　in　the　war　gave　new　urgency　to　the　question　of　imperial　relations。　English　imperialists　were　convinced　that　the　time　was　ripe　for　a　great　advance　toward　centralization；　and　they　were　eager　to　crystallize　in　permanent　institutions　the　imperial　sentiment　called　forth　by　the　war。　When；　therefore；　the　fourth　Colonial　Conference　was　summoned　to　meet　in　London　in　1902　on　the　occasion　of　the　coronation　of　Edward　VII；　Chamberlain　urged　with　all　his　force　and　keenness　a　wide　programme　of　centralized　action。　〃Very　great　expectations；〃　he　declared　in　his　opening　address；　〃have　been　formed　as　to　the　results　which　may　accrue　from　our　meeting。〃　The　expectations；　however；　were　doomed　to　disappointment。　He　and　those　who　shared　his　hopes　had　failed　to　recognize　that　the　war　had　called　forth　a　new　national　consciousness　in　the　Dominions；　as　the　self…governing　colonies　now　came　to　be　termed；　even　more　than　it　had　developed　imperial　sentiment。　In　the　smaller　colonies；　New　Zealand；　Natal；　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　the　old　attitude　of　colonial　dependence　survived　in　larger　measure；　but　in　Canada　and　in　Australia；　now　federated　into　commonwealths；　national　feeling　was　uppermost。

Chamberlain　brought　forward　once　more　his　proposal　for　an　imperial　council；　to　be　advisory　at　first　and　later　to　attain　power　to　tax　and　legislate　for　the　whole　Empire；　but　he　found　no　support。　Instead；　the　Conference　itself　was　made　a　more　permanent　instrument　of　imperial　cooperation　by　a　provision　that　it　should　meet　at　least　every　four　years。　The　essential　difference　was　that　the　Conference　was　merely　a　meeting　of　independent　Governments　on　an　equal　footing；　each　claiming　to　be　as　much　〃His　Majesty's　Government〃　as　any　other；　whereas　the　council　which　Chamberlain　urged　in　vain　would　have　been　a　new　Government；　supreme　over　all　the　Empire　and　dominated　by　the　British　representatives。　Chamberlain　then　suggested　more　centralized　means　of　defense；　grants　to　the　British　navy；　and　the　putting　of　a　definite　proportion　of　colonial　militia　at　the　disposal　of　the　British　War　Office　for　overseas　service。　The　Cape　and　Natal　promised　naval　grants；　Australia　and　New　Zealand　increased　their　contributions　for　the　maintenance　of　a　squadron　in　Pacific　waters；　but　Canada　held　back。　The　smaller　colonies　were　sympathetic　to　the　militia　proposal；　but　Canada　and　Australia　rejected　it　on　the　grounds　that　it　was　〃objectionable　in　principle；　as　derogating　from　the　powers　of　self…government　enjoyed　by　them；　and　would　be　calculated　to　impede　the　general　improvement　in　training　and　organization　of　their　defense　forces。〃　Chamberlain's　additional　proposal　of　free　trade　within　the　Empire　and　of　a　common　tariff　against　all　foreign　countries　found　little　support。　That　each　part　of　the　Empire　should　control　its　own　tariff　and　that　it　should　make　what　concessions　it　wished　on　British　imports；　either　as　a　part　of　a　reciprocal　bargain　or　as　a　free　gift；　remained　a　fixed　idea　in　the　minds　of　the　leaders　of　the　Dominions。　Throughout　the　sessions　it　was　Laurier　rather　than　Chamberlain　who　dominated　the　Conference。

Balked　in　his　desire　to　effect　political　or　military　centralization；　Chamberlain　turned　anew　to　the　possibilities　of　trade　alliance。　His　tariff　reform　campaign　of　1903；　which　was　a　sequel　to　the　Colonial　Conference　of　1902；　proposed　that　Great　Britain　set　up　a　tariff；　incidentally　to　protect　her　own　industries　and　to　have　matter　for　bargaining　with　foreign　powers；　but　mainly　in　order　to　keep　the　colonies　within　her　orbit　by　offering　them　special　terms。　In　this　way　the　Empire　would　become　once　more　self…sufficient。　The　issue　thus　thrust　upon　Great　Britain　and　the　Empire　in　general　was　primarily　a　contest　between　free　traders　and　protectionists；　not　between　the　supporters　of　cooperation　and　the　supporters　of　centralization。　On　this　basis　the　issue　was　fought　out　in　Great　Britain　and　resulted　in　the　overwhelming　victory　of　free　trade　and　the　Liberal　party；　aided　as　they　were　by　the　popular　reaction　against　the　jingoist　policy　which　had　culminated　in　the　war。　When　the　fifth　Conference；　now　termed　Imperial　instead　of　Colonial；　met　in　1907；　there　was　much　impassioned　advocacy　of　preference　and　protection　on　the　part　of　Alfred　Deakin　of　Australia　and　Sir　L。S。　Jameson　of　the　Cape；　but　the　British　representatives　stuck　to　their　guns　and；　in　Winston　Churchill's　phrase；　the　door　remained　〃banged；　barred；　and　bolted〃　against　both　policies。　At　this　conference　Laurier　took　the　ground　that；　while　Canada　would　be　prepared　to　bargain　preference　for　preference；　the　people　of　Great　Britain　must　decide　what　fiscal　system　would　best　serve　their　own　interests。　A　consistent　advocate　of　home　rule；　he　was　willing；　unlike　some　of　his　colleagues；　from　the　other　Dominions；　to　let　the　United　Kingdom　control　its　own　affairs。

The　defense　issue　had　slumbered　since　the　Boer　War。　Now　the　unbounded　ambitions　of　Germany　gave　it　startling　urgency。　It　was　about　1908　that　the　British　public　first　became　seriously　alarmed　over　the　danger　involved　in　the　lessening　margin　of　superiority　of　the　British　over　the　German　navy。　The　alarm　was　echoed　throughout　the　Dominions。　The　Kaiser's　challenge　threatened　the　safety　not　only　of　the　mother　country　but　of　every　part　of　the　Empire。　Hitherto　the　Dominions　had　done　little　in　the　way　of　naval　defense；　though　they　had　one　by　one　assumed　full　responsibility　for　their　land　defense。　The　feeling　had　been　growing　that　they　should　take　a　larger　share　of　the　common　burden。　Two　factors；　however；　had　blocked　advance　in　this　direction。　The　British　Government　had　claimed　and　exercised　full　control　of　the　issues　of　peace　and　war；　and　the　Dominions　were　reluctant　to　assume　responsibility　for　the　consequences　of　a　foreign　policy　which　they　could　not　direct。　The　hostility　of　the　British　Admiralty；　on　strategic　and　political　grounds；　to　the　plan　of　local　Dominion　navies；　had　prevented　progress　on　the　most　feasible　lines。　The　deadlock　was　a　serious　one。　Now　the　imminence　of　danger　compelled　a　solution。　Taking　the　lead　in　this　instance　in　the　working　out　of　the　policy　of　colonial　nationalism；　Australia　had　already　insisted　upon　abandoning　the　barren　and　inadequate　policy　of　making　a　cash　contribution　for　the　support　of　a　British　squadron　in　Australasian　waters　and　had　established　a　local　navy；　manned；　maintained；　and　controlled　by　the　Commonwealth。　Canada　decided　to　follow　her　example。　In　March；　1909；　the　Canadian　House　of　Commons　unanimously　adopted　a　resolution　in　favor　of　establishing　a　Canadian　naval　service　to　cooperate　in　close　relation　with　the　British　navy。　During　the　summer　a　special　conference　was　held　in　London　attended　by　ministers　from　all　the　Dominions。