Ajnil 20, 1917 
LAND & WATER 
LAND & WATER 
OLD SERJEANTS' INN. LONDON. W.C. 
Telephone HOLBORN 2828. 
THURSDAY, APRIL 26. 1917 
CONTENTS 
Canada on Vimy Ridgo. By Louis Raemackers 
Compulsory Rations (Leader) 
The French Offensive. By Hilairc Belloc 
The Admiralty. By Flag Officer 
Italv and the Allies. By Lewis R. Freeman 
Tlie Lost Platoon.' By Centurion 
Britain's Biggest Parish. By Francis Stopford 
Life and Letters. By J. C. Squire 
Books to Read. By Lucian Oldershaw 
Domestic Economy 
Kit and F^cjuipment 
PAGE. 
I 
3 
4 
7 
9 
II 
14 
lO 
i8 
20 
COMPULSORY RATIONS? 
THE constant stream of edicts which issue from 
the Food Controller's Department inevitably. suggest 
that the time has now come when the Government 
would act wisely in taking the public more into their 
conhdence on the actual food supplies of the country than they 
have done hitherto. Several months have passed since 
Mr. Prothero, 'President of the Board of Agriculture and there- 
fore in a position peculiarly well situated to behold the true 
state of affairs, informed an autUence that "the whole country 
ought to realise that we aic a beleaguered city." Since those 
•■ words were spoken nothing has occurred to impro\e matters 
but nuich that obviously might accentuate the state of 
l)eleaguermcnt. Indeed those who have followed carefully 
the progress of the submarine menace and of tlic present 
backward state of agriculture brought about mainly by 
tlie extraordinary prolongation of winter, are coming to 
the conclusion that the day is not far distant when it will be to 
llie interest of the nation to declare compulsory rations for the 
whole population. We are fully aware that rationing has not 
been a success in Germany, but as the British people have 
proved in munitionment, Great Britain, where organisation 
is concerned, is far ahead of the enemy, and if the Govern- 
: unt were persuaded that rations in certain dietary staples 
were advisable, we are certain it would be possible to elaborate 
a scheme that would work smoothly and effectively. 
The point which we have to keep closely in view is that 
at the present time Hindenburg and the (ierman General 
Staff arc not lighting in the West" primarily to hack a 
way through either to Paris or Calais, but to so prolong the 
war on foreign territory that liritain will be starved into an 
appeal for peace before Germany is invaded. To put it 
crudely, from the German point of view the British stomach 
is the decisive point. We are strongly of the opinion that 
hunger would be endured for the sake of victory as serenely 
as death and wounds, but there is no point in going out of 
our way to allow matters under any conceivable circumstances 
to reach such a ))ass, when there is ample time to make adequate 
arrangements which even if the very worst came to the worst 
would obviate possibility of Imnger, let alone star\'ation, 
before the liarvc'st is gathered in. And we maintain thafthis 
is the right view to take. It is perfectly clear from the weekly 
figures of tlie Admiralty that little progress is being made in 
the suppression of German submarines. Mr. Walter 
Rimciman in the House pf Commons on Tuesday night, spoke 
entirely to the jwint on this vital question. He said : 
From the weekly returns of sailinf»s and lo.sses published by 
the Adniiriilty "the country could not reaUse the serious 
damage that was being done to our shipping. When people 
read that there were 2,500 arrivals of ships and 2,500 sailings 
and tli.it 16 or iS ships were .sunk, they .siiid the losses were 
uol very liirj^e. K more fallruioiis system of (alciilatiiig llio 
lusses <'()iild ntit he eonceivi'd. It was absurd to iinasinc 
tliat the Ceinians di<l not know. Tlioy ririiihited hy'wirelpss 
llie number of tons lost, and, tliough'it was overestimated, 
if was not much overestimated. It would be far better to 
tell the whole truth as to the amount of tonnage destroyed. 
The .\<hnir;iltv h\ with'ioMIn" thi- Infr.rmation, is liable to 
impart a sense of false security to the ijcoples of these 
islands. It is open to argument whether this may not jirovc to 
be a greater evil than any intelligence which vthis fact would 
convey to the enemy. The British temperament is not inclined 
to panic, but if it were suddenly announced that the submarine 
campaign had reached a pitch when the mercantile marine 
communications of these islands were more or less in suspense,, 
the imjnession it would create might lead to grave trouble. 
So far we have kept a level head, but at the same tune it 
must not be overlooked that hitherto the strain of war, apart 
from that incidental to the finest manhood of the counti-y 
being constantly in the fighting line, has hardly been felt on 
this side of the Channel. 
It does not matter with what section of the public >'ou 
come into contact nowadays, you quickly realise considerable 
irritatiori exists over the constant fiddling and fuddhng oi 
the Fooci Department with restaurants and tea shops. These 
are almost entirely a feature of London life and quite a 
modern feature ; they affect a very small part of even London's 
])opulation, and it is felt that the undue prominence that has 
been given to them arises from a desire to play to the f?allery. 
The vague utterances of the heads of this Department are 
another cause of irritation. , 
The supply of all cereals siiould be controlled by Govern- 
ment at their source, not merely of wheat alone, but of those 
substitutes for wheat which it is desired should be more 
wide]\- utilised, and it should be made one of the first duties 
of the Food Department to arrange for these substitutes to be ^ 
brought within the reach of every home. The Controller 
exists to devise the machinery by which this distribution can 
be effected ; the work no doubt is difficult, but it is not im- 
possible. It is a question of organisation, and organising 
is supposed to be the s])ecially strong feature of the Depart- 
ment. Unless this result is achieved quickly we may un- 
wittingly through heedless extravagance be precipitated 
into the very panic we wish to avoid. Secondly, the sale of 
all luxuries in the way of food, in so far as they imply the waste 
of wheaten flour, sugar and otlier staple articles of which we 
are short and on which the health of the population depends, 
should be absolutely prohibited. Thirdly, the cargo space 
on all vessels under Government control, which practically 
means nine-tenths of the shipping of the world, should be 
used only for the imports of necessities until the harvest. 
The Prime Minister has already announced certain restric- 
tions, but we are of the opinion that these restrictions should 
be even more drastic i 
This is the most critical stage of the war. We have success- 
fully overcome earlier crises that threatened disaster in the 
field, and now, humanly speaking, it is impossible to conceive 
in the light of past events how Germany can avoid thorough 
defeat from the Allied armies. We need hardly add that 
without this defeat the future peace and security of the world 
can never be assured. Germany relies to-day on one loophole 
of escape— the starvation of the British islands.- The old 
gag— ownc ignolum pro magnifico — is as true in war as in 
peace ; but rather it is. less the unknown than the half- 
known on which great liopes are based. Were the Govern- 
ment, through the mouth of the Prime Minister, to inform 
the nation in the most definite terms what is the absolute 
worst that might confront it, should the submarine destruction 
continue at its present rate or even increase, tliough it 
might possibly hearten Germany temporarily (it is doubtful if 
it could do more in this way than the lies now in circulation hi 
that country), it would certainly inspire the British people 
with new ardour and with a ready desire to do everything 
within their power to promote the efficiency of whatever . 
machinery of distribution it were necessary to install. Putting 
individuals on their honour is foolishness ; personal selfish- 
ness is not the reason, but lack of imagination, which we know 
to be a weak trait in tlie national character. Persons able 
to visualise food economy in so far as it affects themselves, 
carried it into practice months ago ; others are incapable 
of roiDjirelunding how the trival reduction of their own meals 
can affect national supplies. And so far as food-hoarding is 
concerned, if tiiere be any guilty of this offence, either 
firms or private jjcrsons, through greed of palate or purse, 
let us be done with threatening and let action be taken 
•,it once and atrainst the most prominent offenders. 
