Blockade Is Effective Weapon

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1939, Page 8

Blockade Is Effective Weapon

(Received 2 p.m.) RUGBY, December 1

The weekly newspaper, “Economist,” reviewing the British reprisals, Or-der-in-Council, and the French decree, comments on the efforts being made to minimise neutral hardship or inconvenience. “Goods seized will be requisitioned, detained or sold if the Prize Court is satisfied that their origin or ownership is German,” says the “Economist.” If the committee is not satisfied, and tests are openly and legally' applied, the goods wll be released. If goods thought to have been originally German became neutral property before November 27, whether they be released or not, the proceeds of their sale will forthwith be paid over to the owner. Goods ordered before November 27 may be similarly treated. Neutral Owned Goods Neutral-owned .goods of enemy origin also might be released if they are cleared from neutral ports before December 11. Neutrals will be encouraged to obtain from Allied consular officials certificates of the neutral origin of goods they intend to ship—that is, cerificates stating that not less than three-quarters of the value of the goods is in respect of neutral labour and materials. These certificates will expedite their passage through the Allied control. There will be further relaxations of embargoes incases of proved hardship to neutrals. Stringent But Fair

_ln the opinion of the “Economist,” the scheme is very fairly, if stringently, drawn, and it adds: “It will not wholly mean loss to neutrals, for it means the end, outside the scope of Nazi methods, of trade which makes Germany’s customers her dependents. Still less will it mean loss if it is accompanied by a positive export policy by the Allies.” On this point, the “Economist” goes on to insist that blockading the enemy is the only form of economic warfare, and urges that it is all important for the British Government and British traders to see that the terms of trade in every possible case are unfavourable to the enemy. Referring to the success of Allied, contraband control, as shown by the seizure by the British of 463,000 tons of goods destined for Germany, including 100,000 tons of petroleum products, the “Economist” observes:

“These are not the sporadic brutalities of the Nazis, but are signs of dominant sea pswer.”