BLOCKADE STILL EFFECTIVE

Southland Times, Issue 24180, 17 July 1940, Page 5

BLOCKADE STILL EFFECTIVE

GERMANS’ CLAIM IS REFUTED NEW NAZI EMPIRE NOT SELF-SUFFICIENT STRENGTH IN IRON AND STEEL (British Official Wireless) (Received July 16, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, July 15. Following last week’s secret debate in the House of Commons on economic warfare, the weekly journal The Econmist devoted two articles to carefully reasoned facts and figures affecting the prospects of continued pressure by Britain on Germany by the blockade. “Hitler’s military victories,” it says, “have radically changed the political map and the strategic disposition of western Europe. German propagandists already are claiming that Britain’s weapon of blockade has been decisively blunted. The claim is premature and its refutation can be simply summarized.

“The new ramshackle Empire of Nazi Germany is little nearer selfsufficiency in essential war materials than the Third Reich was a year ago. Politically it will now be easier and no harder for Britain to cut oil the flow of overseas supplies to the enemy. Strategically Britain’s superior strength at sea, the basis qf the blockade, is still not visibly impaired. “The first question is whether Germany’s conquests have yielded supplies of basic materials of production to make up her former deficiencies, and the answer is an encouraging one, except in the important instances of iron, steel and aluminium.” PROBLEM OF ALLOY After reviewing the considerable accessions to their iron ore supplies and steel industry capacity which the Nazis have secured, The Economist goes on to recall that the problem of alloy for munitions steel remains. Both Germany and German-controlled Europe are seriously deficient in managanate, nickel, tungsten and chrome. France, being the world’s largest producer of bauxite, there will henceforth be no shortage of aluminium for Hitler’s war planes, but the war planes need oil and petrol and Germany can obtain no more than 12,000,000 tons yearly, even assuming that every ton of Rumanian oil goes to the Reich, while the normal peace-time consumption of Europe, without Russia, is considerably more than twice that amount. In the sum, The Economist finds that Germany’s gains are short term gains. While they last Germany undoubtedly will be stronger, but it now becomes the task of the blockade to ensure that she will never be so strong again and to make sure that, encompassed by her conquests, she will become progressively weaker. The final question, therefore, is: “Has the strategical position at sea been altered?” It is a question of seapower and air strength. It will be decided in battle, but the considered view of The Economist’s writer, after setting out Germany’s gains from sea warfare and Britain’s losses, is: “Germany cannot beat the blockade. She can only try to defeat the blockade.” WAR OFFICE CASUALTY LIST LONDON, July 15. The War Office’s 24th casualty list contains 955 names, comprising 84 officers and 871 ranks including an Auxiliary Territorial Service girl who is reported to be dead.