North Otago Times. THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1915. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

North Otago Times, Volume CI, Issue 13234, 4 March 1915, Page 4

North Otago Times. THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1915. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Frequent references are made to Die British embargo placed on the export of wool lo tlii) United State:).■.mid.utli.cr countries, nu embargo which lias now been modified, as far as America is concerned, to permit the export of Australasian wools consigned to the chairman ot Hie Textile Association, The supply and distribution of what 'is known as "Colonial Wool'' has thus become of great interest. While during" the past three years British ami Con titieutal purchases have been fairlr coustaiit, American purchases fell ofi considerably in l!)lli, importers waiting for the new tariff which allowed wool in duty free from December Ist, 19111. With this tariff in operation last year, business commenced well, as there were direct steamers froju Australia and New Zealand to the larjje eastern centres of the United States; but the war, stopped this .movement' of wool. Large quantities arc now embargoed in Aus-. tralia which will, no doubtj eventually .reach American ports. New" Zealand wool, on the other hand, being practically all crossbred, finds an insatiable I market in England. Since l;'hc shipping season opened on November Ist, we have shipped up to Tuesday, February llith, wool to tho vnlucof over £4,200,000. For comparison it may be mentioned that the total value of the wool shipped in 19U wa5.£9,318,114, and for the previous year ±'B,ojjß,G2l). The heavy buying at the sales in 'Loudon last week is only what was to be expected when shipment from New Zealand and Australia had been checked. Jf satisfactory, arrangements can be mado for tho wool to .be shipped to the States, and tl,'»fc released'under satisfactory guarantees,' the .American demand 'may' still be Va large feature in ..tho disposal of tliis, 'season's Australian wool clip, which'sifc far has been very much delayed by tlid*

jpatrlolle; to':'nilo\v -no Joopliulc lby winch Ux'airilud.li3.wny ,*to the cuemy. Of tlii tjuaiitii'y cousuui•cd l: in the' State,'about'tlircfl-llftha'is 'proiliiccd there, but as American Hocks [arc boing gradually l'ediiccd, there is a jkccii ilemuu d 'for supplies' from outside, .Thig'/it ouci) explains wliy tlieiiiiport 'duty was remitted, add why America is so'eager to suggest'how the embargo may bo lifted from Australasian' .«:• ports. ' ■ ■ •

Blockade is defined'.^, tho interception b;r a, belligerent', of fjcccs/lQ territory, or to a place, which is,, iu possession of his enemy, and must, be jiiaintnincd by a sufficient and properly disposed force. Provided access is iu fact interdicted, the distance at whicli the blockading force may bo stationed the closed ports', is immaterial. "'Germany, some weeks 'iigo,' declared it blockade o! Ehglis'l'i ports, aud warned neutrals,of the dangers attcudant on their ships in the urea. The methods to be adopted' wore peculiarly German in their savagery, Iho procedure usual in blockades beiuy " entirely" disregarded. Sh'ips'were to be sunk on sight, without consideration foV the lives of crews or passengers. No attcmpts'at examination were" to be made by'the'" blockading" force," which was to be composed wholly and'■ "Solely of submarines. Obviously, Germany could not be'expected to risk her Warships while the Allied Fleets were 1 "'/it large, and there were grave risks for her submarines, if they attempted 'examination of ships before sinking them. Even'neutrals might be "sunk in mistake" for British ships. Jlr Asquitli was right when, speaking in '(In) House of Commons, he said it was'"grotesque and puerile" to describe'Gcrmauy's "organised policy'of piracy and pillage" its' a blockade. "The German Fleet," he said, '.'has not blockaded, cannot blockade, and never will blockade oiir const."

What-"fclerinany'has Ijcimi carying on since October; auil what she lias attempted to justify by her declaration, is, of, course, not ji Vlockado. Her ileliiiition of a blockade disregards every doctrine of international law ami civilised warfare, and is merely a euphemism designed to disguise her policy of piracy and murder, and her utter impotence at sea. Her,submarine "blockado" has so I'ar proved ineffective, and the sternest reprisals are to be made by the Allies, who have already declared foodstuffs to be contraband of tvar. Mr Asijui't'h now states that the Government proposes to prevent all commodities 'reaching or icaying Germany, the Allies considering themselves entitled to resort to any form of economic pressure, The pressure exercised by the Grand Fleet will now be applied to its fullest extent, niid.Gernuiny will lind lier coasts' completely blockaded by an "impenetrable ring of warships," whose work will be done effectively even though they may be cruising hundreds of miles, away. The Allies are masters of tiie situation at sea, ,