Chapter 50 A Family of Virtue
"I want Chamberlain's most public speech in the past year!" Sheffield, who had one foot on the carriage, ordered John Connor who was waiting on the side, "What is the governing philosophy of this Colonial Secretary?"
"Most members of the current cabinet have outdated thinking and still think the world is the same as it was in the past. They are still blind to the changes in the world." After the threat in his eyes left, Joseph Chamberlain was still indignant. "Even the current prime minister is like this. Germany has been unified, France has caught up, and the United States is also rising. They can't see anything... Why not take this opportunity to take direct action against the United States and teach them a lesson."
In the empty living room, only Joseph Chamberlain and his two fathers and sons, who would become famous in the future decades, were left. The latter listened silently to his father venting his dissatisfaction with the cabinet.
Compared with Salisbury, who had a large forehead and a long beard and looked unkempt, the three of them all had neatly combed hair and wore suits, looking a bit old-fashioned. But Joseph Chamberlain, the leader of the opposition, was a well-known new politician in the whole of Britain and had many fans.
"Father, calm down. In terms of military strength, the United States is indeed just a weak country, and Germany is a greater threat." Austin Chamberlain glanced at his silent brother beside him, sighed, and spoke to comfort him.
"Actually, father is right. The population and land of the United States determine that its potential is far greater than that of Germany. It just doesn't seem obvious now. In fact, we should take this opportunity to teach them a lesson." Neville Chamberlain disagreed with his brother's opinion. His deep eyes showed that he was not just talking casually.
"Those old-fashioned people still think that the world today is still under the control of the Empire alone. In terms of industrial scale, the United States has surpassed us, and Germany is very close, and their growth rate is even faster than ours. If we continue to maintain the current colonial policy and loosely manage the territories included in the Empire, then sooner or later, the Empire will return to the influence commensurate with the British Isles. We must complete the transformation of the Empire. A closely connected and powerful imperial entity, like the United States, can cope with future changes."
Joseph Chamberlain seemed to be very pleased with the reactions of his two sons, and his mood was relieved. "Unfortunately, most people are still immersed in the glory of the past and do not know that in terms of strength, Britain is no longer in a position to maintain an advantage over other countries. The two problems facing the empire now are that it must have a more balanced relationship with the colonies in various places, turning these colonies into imperial entities and not being inferior to the mainland. The second is to suppress the enemy that poses the greatest threat as soon as possible. Even if there is no war, economic and trade means must be used to curb the opponent's strength."
"So free trade must end. We must establish an economic and trade system that is more beneficial to the empire unilaterally, with the homeland first, colonies second, and foreign countries last! The two countries that are rising the fastest are Germany and the United States. Germany has Russia to the east and France to the west, both of which are powerful enemies. As long as the empire puts aside its interests appropriately, it can conclude an Anglo-German alliance and guide Germany onto the track of the empire, establishing a world system with the empire as the main body and Germany as the auxiliary." Joseph Chamberlain sighed and said, "The real enemy is the Americans. The harsh environment around Germany means that they also need us. If we can't suppress the United States this time, these country bumpkins will sooner or later ride on our heads."
Domestic trade protection, support for industrial and commercial development, and external colonial expansion have become the mainstream of the times. However, politicians still stick to the liberal policies when the British Empire dominated the world. The liberal policies were based on the premise that British industry led the world. However, the second industrial revolution had already begun, the unification of Germany and Italy, and the rise of France and the United States all posed a strong challenge to Britain. Implementing a free trade policy again is tantamount to inviting wolves into the house.
In Chamberlain's eyes, the threat posed by the vast United States far exceeded that of Germany on the European continent. After all, there were two powerful countries around Germany to contain it, while there were no agents around the United States to support it.
"Can this guy tell fortunes?" After Sheffield returned to the apartment, he soon learned about the various words and deeds of the Colonial Secretary, which naturally included building an imperial entity, advocating an Anglo-German alliance, and advocating the abolition of free trade. This thing seems to be called the Imperial Preference System. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it. The TPP Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement established by the black president before the real estate businessman can be understood as the American Empire's Imperial Preference System.
That is, to exclude countries that may threaten one's position and to use the advantages in international trade to maintain one's position. In 1895, such a person who felt that the United States was a threat appeared in Britain. It must be said that there are indeed things worth learning from the old imperialists. Are there really politicians with such a long-term vision?
The Imperial System of Preferences was not successfully implemented until thirty years later by Neville Chamberlain, which also caused great trouble for the United States of America.
Fortunately, there are many powerful countries with similar strength in this era, and many countries can attract firepower for the United States. Otherwise, if the United States is left alone to face the British Empire, the imperial preferential system alone can cause an economic crisis for the United States.
"Prepare to return home!" Faced with such a virtuous family, Sheffield knew that the export of agricultural products at home was in danger. "Send a telegram home and tell them that the export of agricultural products to the UK may not be maintained."
Joseph Chamberlain was formerly the British Empire's Minister of Trade and had great influence in the field of trade. The people in Sheffield, such as Lord Austin, who introduced Chamberlain, did not have the power to stop this British politician who disliked the United States.
Hey! Sheffield covered his chest with a look of melancholy on his face. A pair of bare hands covered his chest. Anne asked with concern, "Is it going wrong?"
"We lost money, and our efforts to maintain agricultural exports have failed." Sheffield forced out a very ugly smile. He felt upset because he had opened up Germany's agricultural exports but had definitely lost Britain's share.
From the perspective of the British, combined with later history, the Chamberlain family can be considered far-sighted and accurately judged that the United States was the one that could really ride on their heads. Internally, they consolidated the imperial entity, established an imperial preferential system, and worked hard to turn colonies into directly governed territories. If it had not been implemented decades later, until his son became prime minister, the days of the United States would have been quite difficult.
But this family is of excellent moral character, and Sheffield is an American. They are far-sighted and have a good vision, so why should they care about him?
After checking the information, I feel that Chamberlain's family is actually very powerful, much stronger than the fat guy who defeated Britain.
(End of this chapter)
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