LAND AND NATIONAL SAFETY. 249 



that in a great European war all the factors 

 operating in the Crimean War would come into 

 effect with far greater force, and other factors 

 would aid them. It is extremely probable that 

 all export of food from Europe would be stopped 

 by orders of the governments of the different 

 great nations. Food and gold — and food more 

 particularly than gold — would be hoarded. 

 Freight rates would soar. Those modern de- 

 velopments of industry, the Trusts and Com- 

 bines, would set to work to hold up stocks of 

 food in countries (such as America) not directly 

 affected by the war. The conclusion I have 

 come to — and I think it will be shared by all 

 who will look into the matter carefully without 

 the narcotic of any preconceived party ideas — 

 is that, on the outbreak of a great European 

 war, little or no food would pass into the ter- 

 ritory of any one of the belligerents until the 

 issue had been decided. A nation will have to 

 fight it out practically on the food supply it has 

 when hostilities open. Some sources of supply 

 will be stopped because one belligerent will not 

 oblige another with bread ; other sources of 

 supply will be blocked by hostile military and 



