BLOCKADING NAZIS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 9, 6 October 1941, Page 8

BLOCKADING NAZIS

Not A Substitute For Military Action MINISTRY’S WARNING (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 3. A warning that economic warfareefficient as it may be—is not a substitute for military action was given by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare, Mr. Dingle Foot, in a speech at Dundee. “For two years,” he said, "we have been blockading the enemy. We have cut off from the beginning his seaborne trade. From neutral markets still within his reach we have bought up great quantities of goods he would like to obtain. We have a notable example this week in the failure of the German negotiations in spite of the strongest pressure to secure supplies of Turkish chrome. “The march of events during the past four months has added very substantially to the effectiveness of our blockade. The Vladivostok leak is closed, and the Germans can no longer Jook to Syria, Persia aud Afghanistan for wool, cotton and foodstuffs. The Bomber Command is hammering with growing effect at the German industrial centres, while the Coastal Command has taken a steadily increasing toll of the enemy’s shipping, thereby throwing a far greater burden on the German railways. Question Often Asked. "But nowadays the question is often heard, ’lf economic warfare is effective, how comes it that the German armies can still drive forward without any apparent lack of oil or rubber tyres, or, indeed, any form of military equipment?’ “The last place where you would expect to discover an actual shortage is among the fighting forces. This is true in the case of countries at war, but it applies particularly to the State which adopted the slogan of ‘guns, not butter,’ and which, with unparalleled thoroughness, reduced civilian supplies to a bare minimum in order to feed its war machine. “In fact, if the blockade is successful the consequences are likely to appear in four successive stages: first, a growing scarcity of consumption goods and services; secondly, increasing failure to maintain and replace Industrial plant and equipment; thirdly, gradual slowing down of all forms of production. It is only in the fourth stage and after a considerable lapse of time that essential military supplies would no longer be available for the armies in the field. There is clear evidence that in both Germany and Italy the first two stages are well under way. “The Germans have avoided many of their errors of the last war. They laid in great pre-war stocks. They have specialized in ersatz products and instituted a highly efficient system of rationing. Not Impregnable. “But these economic defences are not impregnable. While British rations improve, German rations are deteriorating. Only a short time ago the Germans, in spite of having all the resources of the occupied countries available, were' compelled to cut the meat ration. There are perpetual complaints about the quality of food obtainable. “But food is probably the least serious preoccupation of the German consumer. If he wishes to obtain a heavy overcoat he must give up no less than 75 per cent, of his clothing coupons for the year and must hand back his old overcoat into the bargain. Increasing numbers of people are wearing wooden-soled shoes. The discomforts and delay of German railway travel are serious. To some extent these things are due to the deliberate policy of the German Government. But the marked deterioration in living conditions constitutes the first visible result of our economic warfare.

“It would be a great mistake, however, to assess the consequence of the blockade simply in terms -of diminishing supplies. In so far as it has been successful, it produces not only a shortage but. strain on the administrative machine, strain on the resources of skilled labour, strain on transport resulting in serious loss of mobility, aud last, if not least, strair. on the endurance of the population.”