NEUTRALS' RIGHTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 71, 21 September 1939, Page 12

NEUTRALS' RIGHTS

REPLY TO NAZI PROPAGANDA

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received September 21, noon.)

RUGBY, September 20.

The attempts made in German propaganda to represent the exercise of contraband control now in force as an invasion of the legal rights of neutrals has failed in the countries most intimately concerned.

Contraband control does not constitute a formal blockade, but is selective in its action, affecting only certain, classes of goods reaching the enemy directly or through neutral countries, Further, a blockade is lawful only if it is effective—passage across a blockading line must be rendered virtually impossible or highly dangerous. Contraband control, on the contrary, may be lawfully exercised by a belligerent to such extent, great or small, as his means allow. The legality of the action is not dependent on ability to hold up and examine all vessels carrying goods to an enemy destination. Again, the penalty for a breach of the blockade is confiscation of the ship, and, in most cases, of the cargo, which is any case would not be allowed to proceed.

The "Daily Telegraph" says: "We may be confident that it will be possible before long to restrict Germany's imports> as severely as in 1918 and with the good will of all the civilised world."

A bulletin issued by the Ministry of Information states that during the week ended September 16 approximately 110.000 tons of goods (of which there was evidence that they were contraband) consigned to Germany were intercepted and detained by the British contraband control. The goods included metallic ores, petroleum products, chemicals, soya beans, copra, rubber, and graphite.