XIII

FOREIGN CAPITAL

September, 1918

The Difference between Aims and Acts—Should Foreign Capital
be allowed in British Industry ?—The Supremacy of London
and National Trade—No Need to fear German Capital—•
We shall need all we can get—Foreign Shares in British
Companies—Can and should the Disclosure of Foreign
Ownership be forced ?—The Difficulties' of the Problem—
Aliens and British Shipping—The Position of " Key"
Industries—Freedom to Import and Export Capital our
Best Policy.

MANY things that are now happening must be tickling
the sardonic humour of the Muse of History. The
majority of the civilised Powers are banded together
to overthrow a menace to civilisation, carrying on a
war which, it is hoped, is to produce a state of things
in which mankind, purged of the evil spirits of mili-
tarism and aggression, is to start on a new order of
co-operation. At the same time, while we are en-
gaged in fightiag under banners with these noble
ideals inscribed on them, a large number of citizens
of this country are airing proposals aimed at restric-
tions upon Qur intercourse with other nations,
especially in the economic sphere. In last month's
issue of this Journal a very interesting article, signed
" Veritas/* discussed the question as to how far it
was in the power of the Allies to make use of the