THE BLACK LIST

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 76, 27 September 1916, Page 11

THE BLACK LIST

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —From what* the. writer can gather by reading the report of an interview with a prominent gentleman in a high official! position, even the intelligent and highly educated-have the haziest notion .of what the "Black List" really moans. It is not a question of dealing with merchantmen who refuse to take German-American goods at all. As a matter of fact, it is, for the purpose of the blockade, quite immaterial whether merchantmen tako the-goods or not; it cannot reach its ultimate destination. No sane merchant would ship under such conditions. There are two lists—the "Black List" and the "White List." To understand the- working of one you must understand | the meaning of both. The "White List" contains the names of all firms in neutral couutries who have signed an agreement with tho British authorities that they will not sell goods to any German agent - or to any other firm who deals with a I German -agent. These firms have licenses granted to. them by which they are entitled to buy and import goods from any of the Allied countries or from other neutral countries. Goods in transit for such firms are not interfered with so long as the firm in question observes the terms of the compact. When such a firm, however, is found supplying goods to a firm on the "Black List," then it is itself transferred to tho "Black List," and can no longer get its goods passed either out of a. British port or by the Admiralty's officers. Some of the neutral Governments have, moreover, given au undertaking to tho Allied Governments that they will see that tho compact with the "White List" firms is observed. The "Black List" contains the names of all firms in neutral countries who either are German agents themselves or have dealings with German agents. Let us illustrate by a few instances how"'this works:. About last Christmas there arrived ,in Bergen, in Norway, a parcel of pork of about 900 tons. It was consigned from: the Chicago packers to a Swedish firm which, appar-' ently ,wa<s on the "Black List." The Norwegian, authorities seized the pork and- held it iv Bergen till ultimately the Swedish Government was able to settle about it with the British authorities. The canners of Stavangor, the great fish-canning centre of Norway, "last year ran out of tin tor making cans. Before they could get any more tin from England, they had to. sign an agreement with the British authorities that they would not sell any of their produce to Germany.. This compact was very adversely commented on in the! Norwegian press at the time. About nine months ago the Norwegian Government agreed to. supply 3000 tons of coal, to the battle-cruiser Berlin, which' is interned in Drontheim I harbour. The coal was ordered from the neutral- coalfields of Spitzbergen; but when the cargo arrived at the port the Norwegian agent for the coal company positively refused to let the cargo be put on board tho Berlin, because he was afraid his importing license would bo taken away by the British. Tlie steamer therefore stole out of port one night and: proceeded on with • the cargo . furthersouth. Thereupon the authorities of the' port sent a torpedo boat in ' pursuit ai*jd seized steamer, cargo, and all, and com-, polled her to discharge the coal on the Berlin. The movement now on foot is. to do to the "White List" firms what has hitherto been done to the "Black List" firms—that is to say, the American President has obtained power from Congress to seize or detain cargo destined for "White List" firms, and to block cargo consigned to "White List" firms in America from reaching their destination. • It will be seen from this that trade blockade is a two-edged sword. It can be made to cut bothways with equally disastrous effects. The. worst of it is that it is not the Wealthy merchants on both sides who arc the losers. They usually know how to take care of themselves. But it is the unfortunate producor who has to bear the brunt ,of it and in the end to pay the piper.- The merchant is careful not to buy what he cannot immediately sell at a profit. While the boycott!is on, the farmers' produce will'have to lie- either on tho farm or in the warehouses at the noarest seaport waiting for .a buyer. liV.the meantime the wages have to be paid and the interest to be found, and all' other expenses provided. A trade' war with America would therefore mean serious loss to all colonial producers and bankruptcy for . many of them. The unhappy colonial producer, who is dependent not only on1 England but on evory ' manufacturing country in the world for a market for his produce, can therefore not look on a trade boycott with either the indifference or even the pleasure of certain highly salaried patriotic gentlemen who, do not stand to loso anything by it. Nor is the colonial producer in the fortunate position of. a homo manufacturer, who eagerly rushes into the trade war with the full knowledge .hat whatever trade he may lose in ono quarter he can make it up twofold in another direction. There appears to be a dead set against the "Black List" system in all neutral countries. The reason is that even the "Whito List" firms are proving to their cost that it does not pay anything like as well as unrestricted trade would. .The system, restricts. the "White Listers" not only in foreign" trade, but in home trade as well, because they can only sell their imports to firms who have neither direct nor indirect connection with Germany. In the. Scandinavian countries and Holland these firms appear to "constitute a minority. A loss in home trade is therefore the result, and most neutrals have therefore formed a sort of commercial alliance with, the view of safeguarding mutual interests. America, the. most powerful neutral, is expected to take the lead in the matter.—l am, etc., N. C. THOMSEN. Waingawa, 24th September, 1916.