Britain in its World Setting

Abstract

We have compared Great Britain with itself at various points of time, and witnessed the great enrichment of job options open to its inhabitants. The descendants of the agricultural labourers, mill workers and domestic servants of the last century have advanced and diversified into jobs that spare the muscles and exercise the mind. Of course, as I write, over three million would-be workers have no jobs at all, and are condemned to a life of boredom and frustration, while a majority of the rest still have jobs that use little of their intellectual potential. None the less, generation by generation advances have been and are being made, with sons and daughters entering fields beyond the reach of their parents. To conclude our investigation we should examine data from some other countries against which Britain’s achievements may be assessed. I refer to ‘partners and competitors’, for the world is today much more of an economic entity than in earlier times. The establishments of the multinationals support one another across national boundaries, while their subsidiaries abroad may compete with their rivals at home. Scientists, technicians and managers move to and fro about the world to extend their training. Ideas and techniques cross and re-cross national frontiers.