NAVICERTS SYSTEM

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 10, 13 January 1941, Page 8

NAVICERTS SYSTEM

CONTROL OF SHIPPING

AFFECTS FOUR-FIFTHS OF

TONNAGE

(Received January 13, 11 a.m.)

RUGBY, January 12. The Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare (Mr. Dingle Foot), outlining the measures—the compulsory navicert and ships' warrants scheme—which the Government has adopted to meet the situation arising from Germany's occupation of Western Europe, stated that already fourfifths of the ship tonnage outside enemy countries were under British control or within the ships' warrants scheme, in which the many facilities under British control would be available only to ships which could show ships' warrants issued by Britain. REPRISAL BOMBING. Mr. Foot added: "We have a new and formidable weapon—the aerial bombardment of industrial targets. In the last war our blockade stopped short at the frontiers of Germany. That is why I, for. one, hope we shall never waste time in indiscriminate bombardment. No doubt we might be justified in doing it by way of reprisal, but our purpose is to hit the enemy where it hurts him most. When bombs fall on synthetic oil plants, such as that at Leuna, or on great railway centres like Hamm, we are striking directly at the enemy's - capacity to carry on the war. It is a mistake to suppose that our wellraimed blows at industrial objectives- do not have a profoundly depressing effect upon the morale of the enemy."