PREFACE XV 



tageous possibilities the situation is for us — 

 provided we exercise our national rights in 

 questions concerning mercantile shipping, and 

 frame our foreign policy to support our trade 

 policy. I am firmly convinced that the safest 

 basis of our economic future in relation to 

 our present enemies will be found to lie in a 

 wise attitude on our part towards their after- 

 war sea-carrying trade. The Central Powers 

 must export or perish. A very large part of 

 Germany's pre-war export trade was seaborne. 

 There is a,lso the indispensable need of the 

 Central Powers for the raw productions of the 

 British Empire. These will be seaborne from 

 British imperial ports ; they provide a lever of 

 immense power to us. 



The policy of Britain which culminated in 

 Cromwell's wresting their sea-carrying trade 

 from the Dutch began with squabbles about the 

 herring fishery, or in other words, about one of 

 our key industries. Apart from recognising the 

 importance of the herring in relation to food 

 supply, an investigation of the history of the 

 herring fishery and its bearing upon the destiny 

 of Britain will, it is hoped, help the reader to 

 compare what happened in the past with the 

 recent demand by the Central Powers for what 

 they call the Freedom of the Seas, whether in 

 time of peace or war, and will, in addition, dis- 

 close how vital to their economic existence they 

 consider the question of sea communications. 



Many of my notes were made years ago, 



