CORN AND THE FISCAL DUTIES.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTILTOR:f
SIR,—In the Spectator of November 7th, p. 751, you quote. Mr. Morley as asking his audience: " Have you ever thought what would have been your position this year if your ports had been shut ? " I should like, with your permission, to put the question another way. At present our chief imports of corn are from Russia and America. From the latter country our imports are declining yearly, and will continue to decline, for reasons that are obvious. Therefore, unless our own Colonies are encouraged—as Mr. Chamberlain rightly proposes to do—to supply us, we must rely more and more on Russia. In the very possible case of a chance of war with Russia, she would at once forbid the export of corn. "Have you thought what would be your position then, with your ports open and no corn coming in ? " Three weeks would suffice to bring your Free-trade England on her knees, and Russia could dictate her own terms. What they would be I leave to your imagina-
[Has our correspondent thought what would be the effect in case of war of our food supplies coming from the Colonies alone? As it is, the immense interest which the United States has in supplying us with corn is a very effective form of insurance. America while she sends us corn will not lightly brook corn being treated as contraband of war, as rice
• was treated by the French in their war with China. The notion that America will very soon stop supplying us with food is, we believe, by no means well founded.—ED. Spectator.]
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