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16 in business. There is, moreover, a na- tional viewpoint to the matter. Eng- land comes out of the war saddled with a tremendous debt, both domestic and foreign. Upon her ability to dis- pose of a surplus of her meager re- sources in goods and services depends England's. ability to pay off this debt, and to resume her commercial and financial leadership. British economists are advising that the future rests upon increasing production and reducing con- sumption, upon having more and re- quiring less. England's plans for the réconstruc- tion of her merchant marine are predi- cated upon this economic basis. British ships must be used to restore British credit, and finally British commerce. Early in 1916 the president of the board of trade, which is an integral part of the British government, appointed several departmental committees to consider the probable position of vari- ous important branches of British in- dustry after the war, "especially in rela- tion to international competition, to re- port what measures, if any, are neces- sary in order to safeguard that posi- tion.' These committees were for the coal trades, iron and steel trades, engi- neering trades, electrical trades, and nonferrous metal trades, shipping and shipbuilding industries and textile trades. ommercial interests in England op- posed the tendency toward government control. Individualism has been a tra- ditional doctrine of the British business world. A report adopted by the London chamber of commerce in July, 1917, criticized the government for its meth- THE MARINE REVIEW ods in controlling the import trade dur- ing the war and for its failure to' co- operate with business interests. The official organ of the London chamber pointed out on many . occasions the necessity of warning the public and the government against the danger of "per- petrating after the war the methods of expediency which may have been justi- 'fied during the war." New Government Bodies Were England to relinquish her con- trol of the merchant ships today and re- turn them to their private owners, it is doubtful whether they could be operated under prewar conditions. The govern- ment has built up a number of organiza- tions which would have a far reaching effect upon any shipping, and further- more there have been some important changes in financial institutions which will dictate new conditions and changed associations. The government has estab- lished the department of overseas trade (development and intelligence), which is a joint department of the board of trade and the foreign office. The new department is a substitute for a. separate ministry of commerce, for which there has been a _ considerable agitation, especially on the part of the associated chambers of commerce of the United "Kingdom. It has under its jurisdiction the trade commissioner service, the commercial . attaché service, and for trade matters the consular service, al- though the consuls are still a part of the foreign office. The new department has introduced some reforms in the consular service, January, 199 particularly as regards. the compilatj and distribution of consular reports, and F is planning a considerable extension of the trade commissioner's service. entire work of the board of trade hag 3 been divided into two main departments The department of commerce and jp. dustry is to 'supply trade informatiog, plan and work out national commercigj 3 and industrial policies, and otherwise ce promote trade, while the department of! en. public services administration is gaged primarily in administrative fung tions of a more permanent nature with] transportation, * regard to trade and such as harbors, merchant marine, raj. ways, companies, etc. --- What is likely to be the permanent) effect upon British shipping of thes tendencies of the government can fe) There} foretold only by an Englishman. has been noticeable, however, a trend toward combination, and a strengthening of the individualism of British business through co-operation. The British Trade Corp., which is an outgrowth of the report of the board of trade com. mittee on financial facilities for trade' under the chairmanship of Lord Faring-| don, received a royal charter on April) 21, 1917, in spite of some pronounced!) has af capitalization of £10,000,000 and is in F tended to supply longer credit than js) granted by British joint-stock banks and! parliamentary opposition. It to assist British industry and trade in connection with new. overseas same manner as_ the German banks. England is evidently trying to make the very best of what the war has left FITTING OUT A STANDARD SHIP IN A BRITISH YARD--IN THE BACKGROUND IS A SISTER SHIP R S v © by British Pictorial Service EADY TO TAKE THE WATER under- | takings. and contracts in somewhat the? ee ee a eR AR TT PS OPER TT IE BY PTO ED ecg re Pct pempnepecommnergnne