The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1903. FOOD SUPPLY IN WAR TIME.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11840, 10 February 1903, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1903. FOOD SUPPLY IN WAR TIME.

Our- cable news last week contained referenioes to the appointment of an association to promote official inquiry into the quasbion of safeguarding Great Britain's foodc supply in time of war," a subject which haa not hitherto received the earnest attention which! its importance to the natio<n, warrants. The presidency of the newly-.appointed association, has been .conferred upon Lord, Sutherland, but undoubtedly one of its moat vaulabl© members is Mr Spenser Wilkinson, who, though a civilian, is a recognised authority on strategy and an earnest) student of military mattera. His cottnecstion with the Food Supply Association brings to mind an article which hie contributed to tho "Fortnightly Review 4' a few. months ago, in) which he dealt, (it length with -.his serious problem. Mr Wilkinson asked tho alarming question. "Docs War moan Starvation?" and a« an answer ho presented 'strong ev—-ence to show that Great Britain, notwithstanding her acknowledged superiority as a'naval power, is not possessed of sufficient; cruisers to protect her vast mercantile marine without impairing the efficiency of her fighting fleets upon which the issue of a naval waff depends, la ot&er words, he argued that in. the event of a grsait'sea- war the failure of the food supply was, under existing1 conditions, practically inevitable, and tha* tlhis necessary failure -would render England unable to

maintain a protracted struggle against foreign foes. Mr Wilkinson quoted figures to show tbarfi about thrCe-quairters of the wheat awd flour used in the United Kingdom, half the meat, and a large proportion of other foods are imiporto dover-sea. If Britain's carrying trade is to be protected in war time, it wall be necessary to build a sufficient number of extra cruisers for the purpose. Presuming, However, that- these extra cruisers are not available, the only

al amative is apparently to lay up those vessels which are not speedy enough to elude a hostile cruiser. Lord George Hamilton, when First Lord of the Admiralty, in 1894, assumed thaib on the outbreak of war all British sailing vessels, {(and all British steamers of less than twelve knots speed, wuold have to be laid up. In other words, out of some 11,000 British vessels only about 10 -.could be protected int war time. Deducting also the vessels required by tlhe Admiralty as auxiliary cruisers, it is estaim<ated; fchia* the .steamers avaEable for the oversea trade would'be reduced by four-fiftths. This, however, according to Mr Spenser Wdlkinison, >is not the vital question connected with the food supply ia war. "It is hardly probable," he says, "that so long as vie British Navy is undefeated the import of food into the United Kingdom will be, or can be, prevented. The British steamers able to ply undea? war conditions could .cany the great part of it, and the tneuifcral vessels which may be expected still to trade with British ports could carry the whole supply." This, of coarse, is open to the objection that the neutral vessels might fail us. But the chief source of danger is to be found in the inevitabtei dislocationi of trade and the consequent rise in the price of food supplies which might be expected to occur in such an emergenqy. Aa Mr Wilkinson! puts it, "with bread, at three times its .present price, with other foods and clothing correspondingly dear, and with; the earnings of the wiorking classes suddenly diminished by the i dislocation! of trade, a quarter of the population would be face to face with starvation. Unless the Government were able promptly to meet such a condition with' effective remedies, the continuance of war would be impracticable. 1* Mr Wilkinson cites tihe opinion; of com merchants who have considered the question, to the effect that in the ev<ent of a maritime war "the price of corn would soon be not less than. 100s aY quarter, or. three times its present normal price." Briefly siunmiirised, Mr Wilkinson's .point is that the enormous reduction in our imports and exports, apart from, food, would dislocate the *■ whole industrial and financial system of England, amid that a war would find a* least thirteen million's of the on the verge of destitution;. The suggestions which Mr Wilkicson makes in Ms raticle; with a view to minmising the national risk, will doubtless be carefully considered by the association of which he is a member. Clearly, the association haa a responsible task before it, and its proceedings, so far as they are allowed to become public, will be watched witih keen interest by all thoughtful citizens of the Empire.