132 FISHERIES OF THE NORTH SEA 



fishing craft will be employed very pro- 

 fitably upon participation in these high 

 prices, the result of which will be an 

 increase in building and catching power 

 until the demand of the market is satisfied. 

 Allied countries may endeavour to isolate 

 German commerce, but they cannot inter- 

 fere with her attempt to fill her depleted 

 larder by exploiting the international 

 waterways. If we decline commerce in 

 these articles, the Germans can build 

 their own fishing fleets, and we shall find 

 that after causing ourselves an infinite 

 amount of harm we shall have assisted in 

 augmenting the fishing fleets of Germany 

 and creating a great rival in the fishing 

 banks. Thus, after limiting the expansion 

 of our own fishing industry in order to 

 damage Germany, we shall end up by 

 finding competition at the source of supply 

 created by our own short-sighted policy. 

 In addition, we should remember that by 

 supplying Germany with this article of 

 commerce we have given work to a large 

 body of men who thereby obtained a 

 splendid training in seamanship. During 

 the war those men have been of inestimable 



