THE RESULTS OF THE POLICY. gg

choice between entry for the first time on favourable
 terms into one of those great markets which
are now closed to her and a slight improvement in
her already strong position in the British market,
there can be no doubt that her true commercial
policy would be to close with the foreigner. But
this would be a policy antagonistic to the unity of
the Empire, for Canada would be cutting the dyke
and letting in the sea of foreign competition into
the Imperial preserves. Such conduct would have
to be met by the other members of the Empire
with some self-defensive measure of expulsion,
proscription, or at least of forfeiture of privilege
within the confederacy. So Canada would be confronted
 by a thorny problem. If she chose to
consider the best interests of her people and her
trade, she would become the scapegoat of the
Empire ; if she chose to conform to the new standard
 of Imperialism she would be conducting her
affairs in an unprofitable and unbusinesslike way.
This is a dilemma in which it ought to be impossible
 for a colony to find herself, and such a
situation could not fail to damage the Imperial
prestige and endanger the bond of Empire.
Further, if the colonist is told that there is little
more in Empire than commercial advantage he
would soon come to think that the Empire should lie
where the greatest commercial advantage is to be
found. We are glad to think that trade now follows
the flag, but we should not be anxious to establish
a régime under which the flag might follow trade.
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