Smith appeared oblivious to the possibility that such economies of scale could set off a cumulative process in which the manufacturing prowess of the industrial economy becomes increasingly entrenched. Smith’s silence in this regard is surprising. After all, his close friend, David Hume, had engaged in a strong debate with Josiah Tucker, who had maintained that such trade would allow Britain to develop an insurmountable industrial lead (Hudson 1992, 69 ff.). Hume responded that cheap wages would permit the less advanced economies to converge with the more advanced.
