The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1917. THE FOOD PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3135, 13 July 1917, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1917. THE FOOD PROBLEM

Those who consider that the time has como for the Dominion to limit its military effort have laid much emphasis on a. contention that we should serve the JEmpire better by augmenting Britain's food supplies than by contributing men to the Imperial armies. Setting aside the questions of national honour and self-respect involved, this contention betrays a complete failure to grasp tho actual nature of the problem of food supply by which Ehc Empire is confronted. As a matter of fact,, we arc not likely to be faced by the disagreeable choice of having to withhold one fprm of help or another. It should be well within the power of this country for a long time to come Both to keep production at a high level and to maintain its contribution of men. But even if it wero otherwise there would not be the slightest justification for a, Vntcntion that wo would serve the Empire better by producing food than by maintaining an undiminished quota in the Imperial armies. The essence of tho food problem so far as the British Empire- is concerned is to preserve Britain from starvation. We have- it on the bost possible authority, that of Mn. Lr.OYD GEOitGE, that Britain is, no longer in danger of starvation, and it must be added that while the danger still existed it arose out of circumstances which we did, and could do, nothing to modify. In its gravest aspect the problem had loss to do with production than with transport. This fact was strikingly brought out by _Mu. Lloyd George in a speech delivered on April 27, in the course of which he dealt vit-h the cutting down of imports.

'The imports last year (he said) wore cut down by a million and a half tons. It was a mere trifle; it was not in tho least adequate to the real needs of the case. Wo have made arrangements, by which we shall cut down the imports of this country, without ■interfering with any essential industry, by between ten and eloven million tons. Arrangements arc already working which will save,six millions, in addition to the million and a 'half of last year. ... Do you ];now what eleven million tons of imports means? Tf tl,iose eleven million tons of imports had been saved a year ago, you would have had twelve months' store of wheat in this country now. Why do I say that? In Canada there was a surplus of wheat. They have got 85.1100,000 bushels ai wheat there now; I will not say for the asking, but for the fetching, and it ought to be here. I believe about twenty or thirty million bushols of it had to go to the United States of America for want of a market.

This statement throws clear light upon tho' real nature of the food problem with which Britain is grappling, and which sho now has excellent prospects of solving. At the same time it exposes the_ fallacy of the idea that the production of food a-b. this end of the world is a more valuable service to the Empire than a direct military effort. Our duty is to make a. balanced contribution to the Imperial strength, and in determining that contribution we must recognise that in the matter_ of food supplies Britain is not waiting in helpless dependence on external supplies.' On tho contrary, the measures she has taken with a view to solving the food problem represent in the aggregate one of her greatest achievements in the -war ; By cutting down imports, by stringent food control, and by the rapid construction of ships, and above all by an unprecedented development of her native agriculture, Britain _ is in a fair way to gain a position in which sho will be able to defy the German submarines to do their worst. This is a well-attested fact. In the speech which has been quoted, Mr.** Lloyd George stated that the- Government had made its plans for the harvest of 1918, and added:

If' those plans are carried out there will be three million fresh acres of .lau under cultivation, and w can guarantr that without a tun nf foodstuff from abroad no ono can starve us out.

A statement lately cabled indicates that the British Prime Minister is well pleased with the progress made in extending agricultural operations, and is more than ever confident that the enemy submarine campaign will fail. Britain at the moment doubtless stands in need of every ton of foodstuffs she can get from overseas, but the very urgency of the need places New Zealand supplies for the time being beyond reach owing to the distance wo are from the Mother Country. As to the future, it would be ignoring the facts to suggest that she is likely to bo in such straits for food as to warrant this Dominion or any other in reducing its military contribution in order to concentrate on the production of food. In our own interests as well as for the sake of increasing Britain's food supply we are bound to maintain production at the highest possible level, but there is no need to be pessimistic on this score. An interesting statement, made by Mr. W. D. Him yesterday at the annual conference 'of the Council of Agriculture, shows that the Dominion's output of primary products has in the _ aggregate been more than maintained in the years in which heavy calls have been made upon agricultural labour

for war service. A further depletion of the existing body of labour is inevitable, but much may be done by efficient. organisation to minimise the handicap thus imposed upon the primary industries. It is by maintaining production at the highest possible level without .diminishing our direct military contribution below the level advised by those who know the needs of the situation that we shall worthily perform our part in the war.