In the debate on food control in the House of
Commons on Thursday week both Sir John Simon and Mr. Churchill, from different points of view, laid the blame for the present situation on the Government. Sir John Simon, while praising Mr. Runeiman, attacked the War Office for having taken away essential labour. The Boards of Trade and Agriculture should have equal powers with the War Office as to the retention or withdrawal of men from essential industries. In other words, Sir John Simon blamed conscription. Mr. Churchill, on the other hand, could find no fault with conscription. Compulsory service made for a wise control ; it was the indiscriminate business of voluntary recruiting which had depleted essential industries of labour. Nevertheless the Government had been greatly to blame for their delay in bringing forward the proposals for food control. The Government had to be " driven inch by inch." He predicted that everything would have to be managed by the State, that ration tickets would have to be introduced, and that universal service would have to be instituted for industry as well as for the Army. Mr. Runciman said that the diversion of tonnage to the service of the Army and Navy was the chief explanation of the shortage in ships. The true proportioeS of the submarine danger were shown by-the feet that the insurance scheme was solvent on a one per cent. basis.
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