ENGLAND'S FOOD

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2256, 16 September 1914, Page 6

ENGLAND'S FOOD

MAIN SOURCES OF SUPPLY HOME RESERVES The threat of a shortage of food in England was discussed at length before the war broke out. "Sinco the two great European wars of the second half of the last century— the Crimean War and the Franco-Ger-man War—the conditions have so completely changed that no comparison _of figures affords any sound.basia on which to work," says a high authority-on tho London grain -market,- expressed in tho ."Pall Mall Gazette." "The sources of' supply have been immensely widened-, and tho time occupied in transport has been shortened. So long as wo havo command of the sea famine prices, can be kept at arms' length. - "There are few-who believe thato European war can last long, arid our Home reserves, are by no means ii considerable. On tho Continent, the conditions may be vastlj; different, and there is nothing surprising in the fact that the retail prices of food in Vienna have increased from 50 to 100 per cent." "What would be our main sources of supply in the event of England's being involved?", _. "Always assuming, of course, that our Navy could continue to afford adoguate protection to our mercantile marine, we _ have the whole Atlantic and tho Pacific, to draw from. Canada is harvesting now-, and the Chilian and Argentine harvests are already on their way. From even Southern Russia, we could not expect much. "With regard to ooirmeat supply very much the samo arguments apply. If the great,sea highways are sate for our commerce, restricted though it may be America and the Argentine should br easily able to send'supplies adequate .to prevent anything approaching' a meat famine. Russian Exports. "From other sources it was ascertained that butter may be expected to advance immediately a European war begins. In such circumstances the Russian supply would cease. Thirty! thousand ' hundred-weights of Russian and Siberian butter arrived in London recently represented a fifth of tho total import.' It is not an'uninteresting fact that may of the great col 4 storage companies of Russia are run on British capital and under British control. _ The unfortunate thing is that the ordinary necessaries of life—bread, butter, margarine, bacon, and eggs—will be the first to pay tribute." George Renwick, a member of Parliament, some time ago' pointed out thattile United Kingdom never had 011 hand more than six weeks' supplies of wheat j and flour or more than two weeks' supplies of meat. He advised that the Navy.put itself: in position to guarantee protection to tho British merchant marine.,- -■,-,■ "We grow about seven and''import over twerity-five" quarters of wheat yearly," he said, "and a rise of only five dollars per quarter means theiprice of about twelve Dreadnoughts or first-class cruisers. .-,-''" . "Owing to the facility with which car. goes can now be brought to our shores m-times of peace,large surplus supplies are no longer, kept in stock. Any interruption of .'these supplies, as has been vividly shown: during the sailors' and railroad ; men's strikes, which lasted only a-few days, would soon bring our' i;people to the verge of starvation.,, This question is'a matter of lifo and death to our country." Lord 'Ellenboroufeh on this question added: /."The. starvation of , England moans abject surrender. The poor will Ipso,their .freedom; tho rich, will lose their wealth. In future, Englishmen will have to work for long hours and low wages, and. the conditions of peace should:the I :enemy triumph would be such as ,to. leave it open to the other belligerents to threaten us a second time with -starvation. Parts of Essev and Kent would bo turned into |an Alsace and Lorraine." /