BRITISH MAYAL DEFEAT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXII, Issue 8258, 26 December 1911, Page 2

BRITISH MAYAL DEFEAT.

WHAT IT WOULD MEAN.

Some day the nation will awaken to! the fact that we have at no time more | than six weeks' food supply in this country, and then there will be short shift for whatever Government may be in power. There should be national granaries for the storage of at least three months-' corn supply, so that if the Navy were defeated we should, still be able to fight in defence of our homes. In the current "Empire Magazine," Mr Cope Crawford draws a picture of the results that. would accrue weie the Navy to suffer defeat. He does not suggest national granaries as a means of providing against the danger, but relies on an increase of home production or a large increase in cruisers. Neither of these ideas could be immediately carried through, but national granaries could be in existence before Christmas if the nation so j desired. If, says Mr Cope Cornfoid, there is one thing more certain than another, it is that the outbreak of war—quite irrespective of its ultimate development—would cause a sharp rise in prices. The rise would occur although not a single merchant ship were captured, by reason of what is called the moral effect. War insurances would be effected, which in themselves would tend to raise prices; for all'costs-of. transport are paid by the consumer. .- . . If even three or four ships were captured, the rate; of insurance would rise rapidly, and at the samej time the supply would diminish. Both these factors increase prices. Such would be what may be called the natural course of events during war. j It is true that if the Navy held its own, or were victorious, prices would, after the first two or three weeks, tend to decrease and to become steadier. But no one has yet explained how the people numbering millions, who are compelled to spend the whole of their wages in order to achieve a bare existence, will live during that period..