BLOCKADE WEAPON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1944, Page 4

BLOCKADE WEAPON

USED AGAINST GERMANY WITH EFFECT SURVEY IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS REASONS FOR PRESSURE ON NEUTRALS (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, May 9. The efficiency and elTecf of.' 1 lie blockade and other activities of the Ministry of Economic Warfare were discussed by the 'House of Lords today. Lord Nathan, who introduced a motion, said the blockade had given Britain valuable time to prepare for the final blow against the enemy. Economic warfare had “taken the cutting edge oft' the German war machine.” Lord Selborne, replying for the Government, said the Navy had a much more difficult task in this war than in the last, but blockade running had practically ceased, except for a few submarines. Cargoes which had been sunk between Germany and Japan included 45,000 tones of rubber, 15,000 tons of tungsten, 17,000 tons of tin, 25,000 tons of oils and other items of great importance, such as quinine. He said that during the whole war not more than five per cent of neutral imports had been “cloaked” enemy goods, and that at the present time it was less than half of one per cent. The black list had proved a powerful weapon against that form of trading. It had meant the bankruptcy of firms who persisted. Lord Selborne said he had been sorry to see the recent agreement with Spain referred to in some quarters as a defeat of Spain. The agreement was satisfactory to Spain and meant the defeat of Germany. Although Germany had set out to organise the whole of the resources of Europe, these resources were not inexhaustible if they were not replenished from outside. He did not suggest that Germany would collapse because of a shortage of this or that, but enemy stocks, once so plentiful, were seriously depleted, and submarine blockade running could do little to replenish them. Neutrals were becoming increasingly aloof and the air bombardment of Germany was accentuating Germany’s supply problem. “For these reasons,” said Lord Selborne, ‘the difficulties of Hitler’s generals are being increased every day by a growing scarcity of essential commodities. Therefore any neutral who now sends Germany war material is simply prolonging the war, and we shall certainly continue to do our best to prevent that happening.”