aggregation of them acts as a single comprehensive family. If they eventually join hands covering the entire earth, wherever civilization is in authority, they will be doing nothing more or less than what primitive peoples accomplished by instinct in a smaller way. I refer to the community relations between family, clan and tribe. Even before our entrance into the war the Entente Allies proposed an economic alliance, comprising all the war associates on their side of the conflict, for operation following the end of hostilities. This proposal has serious defects, however, inasmuch as it is based almost wholly on belligerent motives and is in defiance of the fundamental laws which have compelled commerce as far back as we can see. I cannot conceive that French manufacturers, as an example, can survive international competition if they are forced arbitrarily to buy from Italy or England or Russia or from this country materials that may, on the other hand, be laid at their doors over night by a short railroad haul from Germany. Propinquity in commerce is a cardinal advantage, and is not easily overridden. As I have said, one may anticipate that rationing committees will appear by government order in all countries. Supplementary to a home committee or organization for the apportionment of domestic products we might have in Italy an expert in olive oils whose duty it is to purchase for dealers in the United States such quantities as the Italian government allows to go out to us; and a marble expert and a silk expert are every bit as probable. These representatives would naturally resolve into a buying commission, whose further part it would be to secure from our own country such commodities in exchange as Italy might want for herself. Likewise, Italy would have her commission on this side. In each country it would be necessary to establish a banking credit, to the end that said credit, if one eventuates, will be remittable to the side whose purchases are short, unless the credit is ordered to stand against further purchases-a very probable out The stabilizing of monetary exchange, so essential to peaceful commerce, would thereby become comparatively automatic. As a matter of fact, vast purchases from Russia have been and are being consummated by such a process at this time, with the financial service performed by American banks, as one might expect. We must disabuse our minds of the notion, held unconsciously or as a principle of faith, that trading beyond our own boundaries is abnormal or of importance secondary to domestic trading. Oceanborne commerce constitutes the bulk of all trading for many European countries, notably Great Britain and Germany. The foreign trade of the first country for 1913, the year prior to the war, amounted to $5,451,000,000; that of Germany figures $4,966,000,000. That our own foreign trade ranked third after both those countries, with a figure of $4,278,000,000, proves to my mind not so much the success of our foreign trade enterprise as it does indicate the tremendous quantities of raw materials which European nations seek from this part of the North American continent. Although it is true that our finished products have been in the ascendency, nevertheless it is to be noted that the component materials thereof originated very largely in the soil of this country. Of course, it is cheaper in many instances for the European purchasers to take materials in their refined forms than it is to import the raw products in gross bulk, at a great expense for freight and handling, and to then refine it on the other side. I believe that the era of international rationing has arrived and that our own government must very soon recognize the instinctive need of new organization, both at home and abroad, to plan and maintain a constant supply of prime necessities. In the past, foreign relations have depended very largely on the political fancy of rulers, whether they be part of an autocratic, or monarchical, or republican régime. They may be expected sooner or later to follow the lines of economic association as dictated by the needs of the people. INTRODUCTORY BY CARL P. HÜBSCHER, Secretary of Swiss Legation, Washington, D. C. It would mean carrying coal to Newcastle should I, as a neutral diplomat whose thoughts are naturally concentrated upon the immediate needs of his country, attempt to add anything to the discussion, the more so as my friend, Professor Rappard, has in a masterly manner, elsewhere explained to you the position of Switzerland to the food question. I may, however, ask your indulgence if I call to your attention the reasons why we representatives of foreign countries must be deeply indebted to the American Academy of Political and Social Science for having been given this opportunity to discuss the food question in an informal manner. I have been connected with international affairs for many years and have been struck by the fact that, upon careful examination, we may find that the true root and origin of many international complications is too often mere misunderstanding-the sheer inability of both sides to comprehend the national character and ideals of one another-too often, also, negotiators are unable to divorce their personal feelings from their obligations as representatives of their respective nations. In private life we observe that after a heart to heart talk, persons who have bitterly differed separate perhaps not as friends, but at least with a better understanding of each other's viewpoint. The same is true in international life. Once the good will and desire is present to compose a misunderstanding by a free and open discussion, a solution of even a complicated international dispute may always be found. To attain this end is necessary not only the more formal diplomatic negotiations, but also just such an open forum as the American Academy of Political and Social Science has arranged for the informal discussion of the food question. This occasion provided by the Academy has made it possible to present to the American public the views of foreign countries on the food embargo, and no one knows better than the citizens of the oldest republic in existence, Switzerland, that in the people themselves lies the ultimate verdict, and that is why we Swiss and we neutrals are justified in the assumption that a just solution of the food embargo will be found in the United States. THE FOOD SITUATION OF NORWAY BY FRIDTJOF NANSEN, D.Sc., D.C.L., In spite of its great extension, Norway has not more than two and one-half million inhabitants. Our country thus has one of the smallest populations of any country in Europe though Norway is one of the oldest kingdoms existing. Though we are small our history may, however, be said to have proved that the Norwegian people possess some good qualities, ever since the days when the Norsemen were the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean and reach the shores of the new world where they established permanent colonies in Greenland. The Norsemen were, and are still, a strong race with a high degree of vitality which is proved for instance by the unusually low death rate in our country. For this and other reasons our people have during the last century increased in number more than any other European people. The increase of our population was on the basis of 100 to 254. If it had not been for the emigration, especially to this country, this increase would have been much greater. We have the doubtful honor of being that European country which next to Ireland has sent comparatively most emigrants across the ocean. In the latter half of the past century one-half million people left Norway and in the ten years from 1901 to 1910 no less than 190,000 left the country. In many years the emigration was more than half the increase by birth and in some years even more than the whole increase by birth. There are now said to be in this country one and one-half million Norwegians of the first and second generation. The important question in connection with the subject interesting us at present is: How do the people of Norway live? What are their means of existence? At all times agriculture and dairy farming or animal industry were by far the most important means of existence in Norway. The average value of the yearly agricultural production may be estimated to amount to something like two hundred million kroner, or between two hundred and two hundred and fifty millions. A very important industry of the Norwegian people is the lumber trade. The total value of the production of this trade is not easy to estimate as so much of it is used at home on the farms. But the average value of the yearly export of the production of the forests was in the years 1906 to 1910 about eighty million kroner. Our fisheries are naturally also of great importance and certainly not less so in late years. The value of the total catch of fish considered as raw material was for instance in 1910, sixty-eight million kroner, the value of our whaling fisheries being included. The export value of our fish and fish products is naturally considerably higher. Especially in late years, manufacturing industry has become a very important factor in our national economy. In 1910, for instance, the value of our export of industrial products, mining products not included, was one hundred and ten million kroner. Here, however, are included certain products of the lumber trade such as pulp, chemical pulp and paper. But the export of industrial products has increased very much for every year after 1910. Finally may be mentioned our shipping, which is of very great importance to the Norwegian people and, I may say, also to several other nations, and certainly not less so during this war. The Norwegians were always a seafaring nation ever since the days when our ancestors were the horror of the coasts of Europe, until this day when we are a preeminently peaceful people and wish to remain so though it cannot be denied perhaps that still a little of the old adventurous spirit is burning in us. Our poet Björnson has said: "Vor aere og vor magt har hvite seil os bragt" (i.e.,our honor and our position we owe to our white sails). This is largely true even today though our white sails have now to a great extent been replaced by the black smoke of our steamers. Though, as I said before, agriculture is the most important industry of the Norwegian people, the agricultural production must not be expected to amount to very great quantities for it has to be |