We must congratulate the Government on adopting this policy in
the fourth winter of the war, for we know by experience how hard it is to get obviously useful ideas translated into practice in this country. Nine months ago we ventured to make the same sugges- tion, which might indeed have occurred to any one not in the ship- ping trade. Outlining the work of the Grand Victualler of the Nation, we wrote on March 24th last :—
" Even in vessels where the main part of the hold was devoted to the materials for making munitions, corners could still be found for some food, so that every ship which entered our ports during the revictualling period should make a contribution, no matter how small, to the national store. We shall be told, of course, that the food thus brought in under the Grand Victualler's orders would be scattered in all sorts of places and landed where it was not wanted, and so increase trouble. Not a bit of it. The snore scattered it was the better."
We went on to suggest the use of churches and chapels and big country houses as temporary stores for food. All this seemed, no doubt, very unorthodox to the shipping industry, but Lord Rhondda has found, nine months later, that the suggestion was perfectly feasible, and ought to be adopted. We trust that he will be able in this way to increase materially the supplies of food for the nation as well as for the crews of ships.
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