[To THE EDITOR OF THZ " SPECTATOR.1 SIR,—Although I am
in agreement with a good deal of the criticism directed by your correspondent Mr. R. B. Marston (Spectator, December 24th, 1910) against the Declaration of London, I cannot allow to pass without contradiction his statement that we are living in this country on a precarious'
week's supply of corn. Mr. Marston says that the truth of this statement was established by the Royal Commission on our Food Supplies in War Time; but in this he is entirely mistaken. The finding of the Commission with regard to wheat and flour was as follows :—
"During a period of 11 years—that is, about 570 weeks—there have been found nine instances when the stocks have been reduced to less than 7 weeks' supply for the United Kingdom ; of these nine instances, seven are found in a group limited to the period between the beginning of June and the end of August, 1898, when the collapse of the Leiter operations had produced what may be justly described as very special circumstances. Except under the abnormal conditions of the year referred to, there were only two occasions during the period reviewed when the total fell below 8 weeks' supply before July,—namely, for a fortnight in June, 1896, and a week in June, 1903, when stocks stood at '74 weeks' supply."
The stocks in this country are frequently equal to twelve to fourteen weeks' supply, and are sometimes even larger than
this.—I am, Sir, dm., EDWARD PAUL. 8 Brunswick Street, Liverpool.
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