Agriculture after the War 



CHAPTER I 



OUR DEPENDENCE UPON IMPORTED FOOD 



While it is generally recognized that the United 

 Kingdom occupies a unique position among nations in 

 its dependence upon foreign countries for a large pro- 

 portion of its food supplies, some of the consequences 

 of that dependence are only just being brought home to 

 us by the course of the present European war. The 

 possibility of starvation or of such grave interruption 

 to the ordinary course of our trade as to enforce our 

 submission to our enemies has for the present been 

 averted ; but enough has been seen of the unantici- 

 pated developments of modern warfare and of the 

 financial situation that it creates, to call for a review 

 of our national policy with regard to food supply 

 and the consideration of our agricultural position 

 from a standpoint that has hitherto been neglected. 

 It is not too much to say that the British people 

 never really believed that they would be involved 

 in a war of the present magnitude. Opinions may 

 differ as to the adequacy or the wisdom of our naval 

 and military preparations ; but all would agree that no 

 attempt had been made to foresee or to provide against 



