[EternalVigilance]

but suddenly cutting off aid meant some hard years for Britain.

Made acute by their turn to the bleak existence of socialism.

[colorado tanker]

In August 1945 the nationalization bills hadn't even been passed, much less implemented. The damaging effects of the Labour program are in the future and will become apparent when the German and French economies begin pulling ahead of the British.

At this time Britain was bankrupt and without enough reserves to import adequate food and manufactures. The next few years will be hard.

Thanks for the trivia about C.S. Lewis. It's really nice that his friends appreciated the situation in Britain and sent him "care" packages. (Do they even make Care packages anymore?)