354 BRITAIN FOP. THE BRITON 



We might now briefly consider the next point, namely — 



Fallacy 4. " Our dependence u])on other countries has a counter- 

 jMvt ; if wc take food from them, they take from us maoitt- 

 facturcd goods ; they seek our pvduds as ca(jcrly as we seek 

 their grain." 



This remarkable contention has been answered in the 

 immediately preceding pages ; but as it stands in the original 

 text of " The Free-trade Movement," as a separate proposition, 

 and as it, moreover, forms one of the main contentions of 

 Free-trade economists, it may well be entitled to separate 

 attention. 



Now, unless there be some indefinable economic subtlety 

 deeply underlying this significant affirmation, of so fine-spun a 

 nature as to remain undiscernible by the ordinary intellect, it 

 is singularly remarkable for its naivete. 



That such foreign nations as supply us with food must take 

 our goods in exchange, is perfectly true, and that in this they 

 are simply obeying a universal economic law, or commercial 

 custom, from which it appears that no nation or individual in 

 this world may escape, is equally true ; but to affirm, or to lead 

 unreflecting people to suppose there can possibly be any other 

 way, or method, or form of payment, or that our products 

 would not be as eagerly sought after by our own people — if we 

 ceased to depend upon other countries for food, and grew it 

 ourselves — is either to display a most elementary knowledge of 

 economics, or to wilfully mislead the people. Abandoning 

 sophistry, the plain statement of the case is as follows : — 



British Products in Demand irrespective of Source of 



Food Supply 



Suppose Germany, for example, provided us with the whole 

 of our food-stufis, Germany could only take from us in exchange 

 an equal value — or as much as it suited her to take — of other 

 goods. Substitute the United States for Germany and precisely 

 the same thing would happen. Change the source of supply 

 to our own colonies and call upon Australia and Canada to pro- 

 vide our food for us, and still no change in the mode of payment 

 would be experienced. Shift yet once more the venue from 

 Canada to Ireland — supposing for the moment that the Emerald 

 Isle could supply us — and it would still be found that Ireland 

 would take in exchange for her wheat and other foods a corre- 

 sponding amount of other commodities. 



Now make your final change and grow all your wheat and 



