We should distinguish carefully between Lord Inchcape's special grievances, which
may be well founded, though Mr. Churchill last Saturday denied their validity, and his general conclusion that "it is high time for all this priority permit and licence nonsense to be abolished, so that the trade of the country may get back into its stride," which is far too sweeping. The Chairman of the P. and 0. forgot for the moment, as too many people forget, that we are still at war, and that our blockade of the enemy countries continues. It would clearly be impossible to maintain the blockade if the elaborate system of controlling exports were swept away, for the neutral traders acting as enemy agents would be quick to profit by our laxity. Until Peace is signed, the control of exports must go on. But we may fairly ask that the Departments concerned should give all possible latitude to British merchants exporting to the Dominions and India and Allied countries, and above all to the shipping trade, the revival of which is of vital importance to every inhabitant of these islands.
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