234 OUR ENGLISH LAND MUDDLE. 



to keep afloat, to keep alive ; a frenzied throwing 

 of every atom of the national energy into the 

 work of defence and of counter-attack — that 

 will be the state of Great Britain if she is called 

 upon to fight a European rival. Under these 

 circumstances raw material — except such as was 

 needed for munitions of war — could come in 

 or stay out until the crisis was over, victory won 

 or defeat admitted, without any very great 

 effect on the issue. But all the while the people 

 would have to be fed. They might cease some 

 of their usual work. They could not cease 

 eating. 



The fact that Great Britain, owing to so man} 

 of her farms being derelict, has to import a full 

 80 per cent, of her bread supplies, and may be 

 caught at the declaration of war with less than 

 seven weeks' meals in the national larder, is the 

 real weakness in our Imperial security. So 

 strong is the national habit of accepting and en- 

 forcing as the test of patriotism some parrot 

 cry — a rhyming demand for so many Dread- 

 noughts, or a breathless aspiration for so many 

 flying machines — that I suppose I shall be 

 suspect of treason if I say that it would be the 



