FOOD SUPPLY IN TIME OF WAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7667, 28 March 1903, Page 4

FOOD SUPPLY IN TIME OF WAR.

» BRITISH CORN MERCHANTS STATE THEIR VIEWS. As a Jesuit, of the recent conference att Stafford House on our food-supply in time of war, a circular, signed by a number of prominent London people in the corn trade, has 'been issued expressing concurrence in, .the opinion that the country must be prepared to see bread at practically famine prices if Great Britain became involved in a European war. The. signatories of the circular assign the following reasons for their opinion :" — 1. The experience of the Napoleonic and Crimean wars, during each of which, thougJn , we possessed full command of the sea, tiie price of wheat rose enormously. 2. As-.- late as the Crimean war we were almost self-supporting, but we now import four-fifths of our wheat. 3. The chief source of supply is the United States. But the price of wheat on the American corn market can be raised artificially, -.and in the- event of a European war iu wflieh Great Britain was involved it is quite possible — indeed, probable— that, it would be. so raised. 4. The com trade on boLih sides' of the Atlantic would expect to make war profits on a scale commensurate with war risks. 5. Tie capture of a few food-ship.?, such as, having regard 'to the relative strength of our Navy, appears inevitable, would still further drive prices up. The circular adds that it is not 'possible to specify the height to which the price of wheat, and consequently of bread, would rise, for it wouid depend on tiie degree to which it was influenced by ea-dii of the five factors enumerated. Taking, however, into account the vast importance of the question' of oift % foodsupply in time of war, we feel that the country ought to know that, in the opinion, of corn merchants, it ■ mu.s-t, in the event of such a war, prepare to sea wheat, and consequently bread, at what would be to the poor famine prices.