THE DANGER TO THE EXPIRE.
[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR:]
Sin,—Your comments on my letter in the Spectator of October 17th convince me that it was not only hastily written but faultily expressed. You are probably right in holding that the campaign in this country against Mr. Chamberlain's proposals can best be carried on by separate organisations working for a common end. But my main object in writing was to point out the danger of alienating Colonial opinion if the struggle to maintain Free-trade should be conducted as if the question only concerned the• United Kingdom. To avoid this danger, I urge that steps should be taken to bring directly before the Colonies the arguments in favour of complete fiscal liberty within the Empire. It seems hardly possible to do this without some measure of co-operation. The most obvious expedient is to form an Imperial Free-trade Committee, on which the various sectional organisations, both Unionist and Liberal, should be represented. The exclusive business of this Committee should be to take the necessary measures for advocating in the chief self-governing Colonies the maintenance of the existing freedom of fiscal arrange- ments.—I am, Sir, &c., 25 Hope Terrace, Edinburgh.
RICHARD LODGE.
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