The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-07-10

ance of about 5000 600 quarters prodac-
ed AT home, not counting about 100000
Quarters for seed and farm purposes
The home product steadily decreases.
Thus five out of every six of the peo-
pie ol the British Isles are fed ON an
ported breadstuHs, and four ONT cf
these five ON imports exclusively for
eiSn. The reserve of bread5tuifs. too,
probably never exceeds three months
supply. and on January |. 1891, there
. appeared by the statistics to be less
than three weeks supply. This last
is a fact of Importance as relating 10
the rise OF prices caused by d declara-
ton of war.
On the other hand. France is selfsup
porting in grains: while Germany. Aus
tria and Italy produce eiIh atcct
| three-fourths of what is needed of food
supplies in time of peace, and doubt
less could support themselves wholly
in time of war, if necessary. Germany.
| the least productive of the four in ratio
to population. increased her wheat
acreage by 100000 acres from 1883 to
1893. AS for Russia and the United
States. besides being self-supporting,
they are the worlds greatest grain sup
porters In short. England is the ex-
ception to the general rule. and most
of her food comes over ocean routes
thousands of miles long.
AS for our own country. Mr.. Seton
karr makes the specially suggestive
point that half the exports of the
! United States to England are bread
stuffs, being more than one-third OF
the supply of the British Isles. That
implies for England a big insurance in
time of war, even with the United States
! neutral. What the rate would be. Mr..
Seton karr can only infer from the enor
nous rates asked on blockade runners
in the time of our civil war. 1t is true
no such blockade Of Englands entire
coast would be possible; but on the
| other hand, the South did not have to
import bread and meat, the very neces-
stiles of life. In short, England. with
her bread larder abroad, is beyond COM
| parisOn more vulnerable now in this
respect than any country ever previous
| ly known In history" And while her
navy would be some protection, a very
| few twentytive-knot commerce destroy
ers in an enemy's hand would cause
vast trouble tor millions of British
homes even with Britannia unvcr-
| sally ruling the waves.
What, then. is the remedy7 Mr. Sc
| ton-karr suggests first the abandon
ment OF strict free trade in food supplies
| for protective policy. This would in
a year or two largely increase our wheat
area; and when it is remembered that
about quadruple our present wheat acre
age, say S,OOO.OOO acres. or about one
sixth of the whole cultivable area Of
the Kingdom. would supply us with all
the bread we need, this solution of the
difficulty does not appear altogether i'm
possible" The next suggestion is to
foster colonial commercial federation"
so chat ~le colonies may be encouraged
cultural produce. Finally. there should
be a reserve of wheat in national gran
aries at home. This last solution has
been previously suggested. but is sub
the supplies would have to be distribute
ed by sale. and then renewed from time
to time. thus not only being costly, but
interfering with ordinary trade. How
ever, this remedy would help until moro
British wheat Is grown at home.
But what has chiefly interested us in
this essay is the exposure of England's
vulnerability in respect to food, and 1t
may be added that it Is surprising why
lGngland's weak point is made manifest
IN an American magazine of such wide
circulation as the North American Re-
view. What Il contrast between the
United States and Great Britain in tho
matter OF food stutfs. While Britain
imports hVe-stNths OF the wheat and
flour consumed in the British Isles, be-
sides Il lot Of other catablcs the United
States last year exported corn. wheat
and Hour to the value Of $3.50, 900 900;
beef, pork and other meat products
to the value Of $4,000. 900; dairy pro-
ducts fruits. vegetables. SIS, 900 900 and
live animals. SUI 100000. The United
States supplies Britain with about ono
fifth Of all that the latter imports from
foreign countries, and half our exports
to the tight little island" are bread
stnffa. 1t bchooves John BUY 20 MAIN
tain friendly relations with Uncle Sam
for his stomach's sake.