WHAT THE OCEAN MEANS TO GREAT BRITAIN 311 



examination of the development of British seafaring, 

 we must note another factor in the development of 

 British Merchantile Marine of the utmost importance. 

 The repeal of the corn laws and the adoption of free 

 trade by Great Britain gave a tremendous and un- 

 paralleled impetus to her oversea trade. Every 

 country washed by the sea, more especially new 

 countries like America, having produce to sell, found 

 a new market flung freely open to them, and hastened 

 to pour in supplies of all kinds, which were mostly 

 carried by British ships. It was the golden age of 

 shipowning, but one consequence of the new departure 

 must never be lost sight of : it made Britain each day 

 more and more dependent upon her oversea traffic 

 for her national existence. However, such was the 

 prosperity of the country under the new regime, and 

 so cheap did food become, that no one thought of the 

 inevitable consequences of becoming dependent entirely 

 upon food borne over sea. Only certain of our people, 

 those engaged in agriculture, began to feel the pinch 

 and make outcry against the new order of things, 

 predicting the ruin of agriculture. But as they had 

 done that for many years without adequate cause, no 

 notice was taken of them. Not that I think they 

 would have gained much attention anyhow, being, 

 in comparison with those who were flourishing under 

 the new state of affairs, but a feeble folk. 



But we must now hark back a little to note a 

 tremendously accelerating factor in British shipping 

 business the advent of steam. It is curious to note, 

 remembering the extremely arrogant claims made by 

 the United States to lead the world in enterprise 

 and ability, how completely they failed to grasp the 



