90 BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS 



But none of this is at all likely to come about if the 

 British public is not willing to give the agricultural 

 industry security for the future. I say for the future 

 advisedly, as for the present, and for some years after 

 this war, the world has got to farm hard, or the world 

 will starve! I have not met any authority of any 

 weight who thinks it possible that land robbery can 

 start immediately the war is over. We all, farmers, 

 landlords, labourers, as well as experts, are, however, 

 looking to the time when stolen produce is offered once 

 again to this country. That is the only danger we 

 want protection against. The question as to what 

 form that protection is to take is, I submit, worthy 

 of the consideration of all thinking men. 



For myself I suggest that it is worth this country's 

 while to think out some plan that will for the future 

 subsidize production. The capitalist in other words 

 the landlord the captain of industry you know him 

 as the farmer and the greatest national asset of them 

 all the agricultural labourer somehow or other 

 have to be convinced that you do not intend to let 

 them down once again in the near future as you did 

 between 1875 and 1900. Convince all three parties 

 of this, and your insurance premium against the risk 

 of your once again rinding yourselves in the dangerous 

 position you are in now is receipted. Let these three 

 classes go on believing that you are only anxious for 

 the time when you may once again have food cheap 

 enough to waste to your heart's content, and you will 

 be as far off reliance on home production in the future 

 as you were in the August of 1914. 



How best to subsidize production is a problem so 

 difficult as to entail a study that any peaceful strate- 

 gist, however brilliant, may find worthy of his talents. 

 Nevertheless, I am venturing to conclude my lecture 

 by putting before you my own ideas as to a solution. 



