The Spectator

The Spectator at war: Open markets

From News of the Week, The Spectator, 13 February 1915:

In the House of Commons on Thursday Mr. Asquith made three notable announcements. In future Sir John French will send twice a week a communication summarizing the doings of the British Force. Evidently “Todgers’s can do it when it likes.” Next Mr. Asquith explained that the Government are considering the adoption of more stringent measures against German trade. Thirdly, he declined to fix maximum prices – “an experiment which the German Government had made with disastrous consequences.” We record this decision with intense relief, for it means that the Cabinet realize that the sure way to starve the working classes would be to discourage the importation of corn by artificially knocking down prices.

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