THE BLOCKADES

Grey River Argus, 5 January 1940, Page 7

THE BLOCKADES

GERMAN EXPORTS Getting Through [Aust- & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, January 3. . The contraband control has been tightened up. following evident, that neutrals are • camouflaging German exports. ’ the seizures for the. week ended December 30 amounted to 20,800 tons, making a total of 53(,bu0 tons for 17 weeks, plus 429,000 tons of French - seizures. Four Further Sinkings NORWEGIAN SHIP TORPEDOED. SEVEN MEN KILLED. (Received January 4, 7 p.nl,; ... BERGEN, January o. Fifteen survivors of the ship “Lars Magnus Trozelii,” have arrived here. They, say the ship was torpedoed without warning, twenty miles from Blyth. Seven were killed. BRITISH TRAWLER BLOWN Ul-. (Received January 4, 7 p.m.; LONDON, January 3.. The finding of a fisherman’s body and wreckage suggests that the trawlei' “Young Harry” has blown up on the south coast of England, with the loss of four of the crew, including a father and son. The trawler had been m.ssing since before dawn, when explosions were heard m its vicinity.

“SOS” From Torpedoed Shit SINKING IN ATLANTIC.

(Received January 4, 7 p.m.) . PARIS, January a. The ship Kiruna is send-nv, oiit “SOS” cads, stating that she is sinking slowly, 500 miies north of the Azores Islands, after a submarine attack.

ESTONIAN SHIP . MINED. (Received January 4, 7 p.m.; TALLINN, January 3. The ship “Agu,” with a crew oi eighteen, is' believed to have been mined in the North Sea. She. has not reported since December 31. SWEDISH LOSS OF 11 SHIPS. ■ STOCKHOLM,' January 3. The Ministry , of Marine announced that Sweden lostll ships, totalling 17,254 tons, duvingJJecember. They were either mined'or torpedoed. FIRST GERMAN ADMISSION. OF U-BOAT LOSSES. ” (Received January 4, 7 p.m.) BERLIN, January 3. Authorised quarters here state that British submarine traps* namely, armed merchant and fishing, vessels, sank two German submarines. This is the first German admission of submarine losses.

French Navy's Blockade 429,600 TONS INTERCEPTED. (Received January 4; 7 P- m -> PARIS, January 3. ' It is . reported that during the last week of December the French Navy examined, ten vessels and intercept ed 27,000 tons of goods. Th total number of . ships examined by the French Navy to date is 227, and 429,000 tons of merchandise mis been intercepted by it.

NICKEL CARGO SEIZED. (Received January 5, 12.5 a,m.) January 3. The steamer Executive has been detained here, and her cargo of 13,000 feet of nickel tubing has been seized, BRITISH NAVY’S BLOCKADE. £ LAST WEEK’S HOLD-UPS. (Received January 4, 7 p.m.) RUGBY, January 3. On January 2nd there were 47 neutral » ships, in three United Kingdom control bases. Of these 29 vessels had been there for five days or less. The total included the fonowmg:— Vessels. ’ Numbers. Netherlands .. .. • • • ■ • 19 Norwegian . . 6 Belgian 4 Swedish 7 Greek .. .. .. • • • • ■ • • • 2 Of .the above the following had been in detention for five days or less. — iNetnenands 5, Norwegian 4, Belgian 4, Swedish 4, Greek 2. During the week ended December 30, the Contraband Committee considered the cargoes of 122 ships which had arrived at the control bases since December 23, and of twenty ships with outstanding cargoes from the previous week. The combined total included the fallowing:— Ships. Numbers. Italian 35 Netherlands • • • 25 Norwegian 23 Greek .. 1° Swedish -10 Belgian . 7 Danish 6 British 5United States .. * Finnish 4

■’■-V • 143 In 76 of the cases entire cargoes were released, either on first consideration, or after inquiries. The system under which .. advance copies of the manifests of cargoes are received and considered before tne ships’‘arrival- at the United-Kingdom control ports resulted during pie week, under review, in 24 cases being so dealt with, and in 19 cases.pf snips concerned . being released by ,|ne Committee-subject merely to the for-mal-checking of tjje original mqm 1 - fests on their arrival at the control base. : k; ■ : J .< . During the week ended Decembei 30, 'the British Contraband - Control intercepted 20,800 tons of. contraband 'goods which were suspected of being destined for Germany. This Total .in - cluded 17,500 tons of petroleum and allied products; 1450 ton's of ores and

metals; 600 tons of miscellaneous foodstuffs, 400 tons of oilseeds, 160 tons of cotton, 160 tons of gums ana resins, and quantities of rubber, cnemicaf proaucts, tanning materials, timber, hides and skins. '. In the first 17 weeks of the . war the British Control detained a total of 537,6U0 tons. BRITISH FOOD RATIONING. BACON PRICE FIXED. (Received January 4, 7.30 j?,m.) LONDON, January. 3. . The Food Ministry,. has announced that rationed food remains available in restaurants, canteens, and hotels, but that the supplies have been, reduced in proportion to the domestic restrictions. . , ’ The Ministry has also issued a list of maximum retail prices for bacon and ham, ranging from 14d. per lb. for thin green shoulder, to 25d. for gammon ham. ,

Profiteering in Britain A FINE IMPOSELaX (Received January 4, 9 p.m.) LONDON, January 3. . .The Supply Ministry’s .first "profit hog” case-has resulted in Money’s, Birmingham,- Ltd., being fined £25 sterling for offering stee.i sheets at £24 sterling per ton, when the maximum had been fixed at £l7/5/- per ton. Reduction Forced SHIPPING RISK RATES. (Received January 14, 9 p.mj LONDON, January 3. The War Risk Rating Committea of the Institute of London Underwriters have resigned en bloc. This is owing to a lock of market support .for-the current schedule. ®te-i- schedule expires to-day, and the Committee have drawn up an advisory.schedule,; m which general decreases are made in the rates between New Zealand, Australia, and East Africa, South Africa, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Far East.