732. Sources of imports.—The war entailed changes even more sweeping in the direction of English trade than in the items composing it. Among the countries of the world Germany had an importance second only to that of the United States as a source of imports into the United Kingdom. If to Germany be added the other Central Powers, and Belgium, of which all but a small fragment was soon occupied, a territory was cut out which in 1913 had furnished over one-sixth of the imports for consumption in the United Kingdom. The following table indicates how these losses were made good, and where the additional supplies were procured which the war demanded.

Percentage of Value of Imports for Consumption
1913191419151916191719181919
From British Possessions20232829323234
From United States20213033374035
From all other60564238312831

The extent to which England satisfied her needs, within the Empire is the more remarkable because of the distance of some of the most important possessions, which put an additional strain on shipping that already had to do double duty.[7] Most striking, however, of any feature of the table, is the position of extraordinary importance it gives to the United States, to be explained by the fact that this country was relatively near, was blessed with an abundance of the commodities required, and was inclined to the Entente even before it entered the war. In the years 1917 and 1918 the United States is credited with having “furnished from 50 to 95 per cent of the United Kingdom’s total imports of wheat, wheat flour, corn, oats, barley, bacon, hams, glucose, kerosene, motor spirits, lubricating oil, fuel oil, pig iron and crude steel, raw copper, spelter, raw cotton, tobacco, etc.”

733. Markets for exports.—In times of peace a country is in general more interested in markets for its exports than in sources from which to supply its imports. The condition is reversed in time of war, for reasons that have already been suggested. The Central Powers and Belgium took 13 per cent of the exports of the United Kingdom in 1913, but the closing of this market was of relatively slight consequence at the time. The volume of British products available for export diminished so much that there were few markets to which the flow of goods was maintained. Exports even to the United States barely held their own, in spite of the phenomenal increase of imports from this country.

One country, France, was an outstanding exception to the general rule. The United Kingdom had been used to import from that country more in value than it exported thither. The war effected an abrupt reversal of the situation; imports from France declined, exports thither increased enormously.

Special Trade of United Kingdom with France, 1913-1919.
1913191419151916191719181919
Imports into U. K., £ million41332722 20 32 44
Exports from U. K., £ million29267093112131147
Per cent total exports from U. K. 5 618 18 21 26 18

The interpretation of these changes is simple. France was the battlefield on the western front. British exports thither were either supplies for the front, or were destined to relieve French labor and products for military service.[8] Toward the end of the war France was taking about two-thirds of the total British export of iron and steel manufactures.

By a concentration of resources and energies such as pictured here the war was won. Meanwhile, however, England was neglecting her old customers in various parts of the world, both in the British Possessions and foreign countries. The countries of South America were forced to turn to the United States for manufactures which had formerly reached them from Germany or England; the countries of the Far East were forced to turn to Japan. One of the most serious of the problems of the period following the war was to England the recovery of the markets which she had had to sacrifice in the stress of the conflict.

734. Effects of the war on agriculture.—To follow out the influence of the World War on the internal organization of the countries engaged is beyond the scope of this book. A revolution in commerce such as that described in the last few pages reflected, of course, a corresponding change in internal conditions. The war dissolved old traditions and loosed new forces; the countries engaged in it will never be again what they were before 1914. There is space here only to sketch briefly a few of the changes.

The imperative demand for food, when incoming cargoes were constantly being sunk before they reached port, put on British agriculture a strain which was felt more keenly because of the large proportion of agricultural laborers drawn into military service. One result which promised to have a lasting effect was the introduction of improved mechanical equipment, particularly the modern tractor. The heavy taxes on the owners of large estates forced into the market great areas of land which had been held as a social rather than an economic investment; and laws were passed designed to put agriculture on a more businesslike basis, and particularly to further the growth of small holdings. So deeply rooted, however, are the traditions of English rural life that it would be hazardous to predict the issue of these changes.