290 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK oh. 



clear that we have much to lose and little or nothing 

 to gain by maintaining the right to destroy enemy's 

 private property at sea. 



In the Crimean War our Fleet went to the Baltic, 

 and destroyed some Russian produce. It was Russian 

 produce in the sense of having been produced in Russia. 

 But whose property was it ? It belonged to English 

 merchants, and was insured in English offices. Take 

 again the depredations of the Alabama. Great Britain 

 paid eventually £3,000,000 for the damage done to 

 " American shipping," that is to say, shipping under 

 the American flag. 



But this very shipping was much of it insured in 

 English companies. That of which I was Chairman 

 had to pay many thousands of pounds, and then we 

 were taxed to pay the American Government for the 

 injury done to our own property. If we found ourselves 

 unfortunately at war, the shipping of our enemy would 

 probably not venture to sea. But the loss to them 

 would be trifling. Ours no doubt would still go on, 

 but there would be a war premium on goods shipped 

 in English bottoms. The rate might no doubt be small, 

 but a very small extra rate of insurance would tend to 

 drive merchandise from British vessels and under neutral 

 flags. 



I submit then that as we now stand we can inflict 

 no serious injury on an opponent by maintaining the 

 right of seizing private property at sea, and that an 

 alteration of the law would be better for all, but especially 

 for us. 



2. I now come to the vital question of our food 

 supplies. Four-fifths come from foreign countries, and 

 I am convinced that neither the United States nor 

 Russia nor any other country from which we derive 

 our supplies, would suffer their commerce to be interfered 

 with. 



We can hardly suppose that we shall lose control of 

 the Channel, but as long as goods can pass from Calais 

 or Ostend to Dover, we may depend that London will 

 not starve as long as there is food in Paris or Berlin. 



At any rate, the fact that the bulk of our food supply 

 comes over the sea is a main reason which makes it so 

 important for us that private property should be free 

 of capture and seizure at sea. 



