Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. MONDAY NOVEMBER 20, 1939. ECONOMIC WAR.

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 November 1939, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. MONDAY NOVEMBER 20, 1939. ECONOMIC WAR.

IT is evident, from the statement issued after the meeting of the Supreme War Council, that the cooperation in existence between Britain and France is not merely confined to the operations of the fighting services, but that it covers

also the field of economic warfare. Experience gained during the Great War showed the need for complete co-ordination, and no time was lost at the outbreak of the present conflict in putting the arrangements into operation. They have since been extended and completed, to provide for the most-effective use of raw material resources by the Allies. The need for such an arrangement is obvious, and it is rather surprising to recall, as announced by Hie official statement, that the completion of a similar scheme was achieved only at the end of the third year in the Great War. Many blunders of the first magnitude admittedly marked the conduct of that conflict, however, and every disposition to avoid their repetition is now being shown. While Britain and France have been perfecting their plans for economic unity of action, in-

eluding a joint programme in connection with imports, the operations aimed at preventing goods reaching Germany have been continued on a comprehensive scale. The British contraband control system must be proving a thorn in the side of the enemy. In the first weeks of the war, a high proportion of the seizures consisted of goods openly consigned to German ports, and carried in ships which had begun their voyages before the declaration of war. After these had been dealt with, the first phase was regarded as ended. It was succeeded by the much more delicate and difficult task of intercepting commodities, carried in neutral ships and consigned to neutral ports, which there is reason to believe might find their way to the enemy. There are various considerations which call for discreet adjustment ; the duty of the Ministry of Economic Warfare to prevent vital supplies reaching Germany, the desire to preserve neutral goodwill by causing as little hindrance as possible to legitimate traffic, and the necessity of safeguarding the maintenance of Bri-

tain’s own import and export trade. In its efforts to minimise interference with shipping, the Ministry is seeking,- and receiving, the co-operation of neutral shipowners. Latest reports show that the efforts to decrease the delay to the minimum are being steadily more successful, mainly owing to the co-operation being received. Although, as is inevitable, there is some grumbling reported by neutral traders, the degree of assistance they are giving is encouraging, and it is expected that delay will still further be reduced. Whatever inconvenience the British system may cause, neutrals realise that it \is infinitely preferable to the U-boat method of control, which has involved the loss of many of their ships and cargoes, and has placed the crews in great danger. There cduld be no greater contrast in the methods employed by the combatants, —Britain doing her utmost to avoid delAy and inconvenience to neutral ships, and Germany sinking them without warning. A further tragic sequel to the German disregard, of international law in connection with minefields has been the sinking of the Dutch liner, Simon Bolivar. Meanwhile, it is most satisfactory to note that, in spite of the losses caused by the U-boat campaign, the British mercantile marine continues to show an increase in strength. Practically every shipyard in Britain is stated to be working at full capacity, and large numbers of merchant ships are under construction. Even if the submarine campaign were as successful as the Germans claim it to be, the lost vessels would quickly be replaced, and the vital trade of the Empire would go on as usual. On the other hand, there is no doubt that the German mercantile marine has ceased to be an asset to the enemy; in fact, the vessels still sheltering in neutral ports have become a serious liability, owing to the need for meeting harbour dues and other charges. The only alternative is an attempt to run the Allied blockade, in the hope of reaching Germany, and this almost inevitably leads to disaster.