98 THE GREAT WAR 



branch, and the Hohenzollern dynasty becomes 

 a thing of the past. 



Another great problem, however, connected 

 with the war and with our national stability is 

 the question of the food supply. Already in 

 many cases prices have nearly doubled, but the 

 real pinch will be felt in the next two years. 

 Lord Selborne in June last in the House of Lords 

 stated that " the principal function of the Board 

 of Agriculture was to consider the question of 

 the food supply for this country next year." 

 He evidently sees the evil ; and the recognition 

 * of an evil is the first step to remedy it. 



Accordingly, in June last Lord Selborne 

 appointed a Departmental Committee to deal 

 with the question. The " Keference " to it, 

 which is rather weak, is as follows : 



" To consider and report what steps should be taken 

 for the sole purpose of maintaining and, if possible, 

 increasing the present production of food in England 

 and Wales on the assumption that the war may be pro- 

 longed beyond the harvest of 1916." 



There is a touch of irony in the words " main- 

 taining and if possible increasing the present 

 production," seeing that of the 47 millions of 

 acres in the kingdom now put to some use, 



