BLOCKADE TELLING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 308, 21 May 1941, Page 5

BLOCKADE TELLING

GERMAN DILEMMA

[ "Wc believe that a point has been reached where the effects of our blockade are beginning to be felt by Germany, and that it is not only desirable for Germany to break out, but essential. This is probably the explanation of a good many recent events," said Mr Dingle Foot, Un-der-Secretary lo the Ministry of Economic Warfare, in an interview for New Zealand readers. The Germans' plan was apparently to make greater use of the Vladivostock route, to expel the British from the Eastern Mediterranean, and to influence Admiral Darlan to use the French fleet to convoy food ships to. unoccupied France; with the intention of transferring, this food to Germany. If the Germans could expel the British from the Eastern Mediterranean by a successful Balkan campaign it would mean that another 1,000,000 tons of Rumanian oil; a year would go to Germany. It would be, shipped via Trieste, and thus relieve pressure on the overland route, said Mr Foot.

It was estimated by the Ministry that Germany would be in serious difficulties "regarding rubber and hardening metals in June and July. It was becoming increasingly short of consumption goods, such as fats, textiles, tanning materials and soap,

Complaints about Germany's short' age of fats were known to the Ministry a year ago. The problem was temporarily solved when the Germans looted Holland and Denmark. No le,ss than 90 per cent of the Dutch butter stocks were removed by the Nazis in the first fortnight of the occupation of Holland, Denmark was also systematically Footed.

Apparently Germany had overdone the looting, and she was now .in a dilemma. To secure industrial production from the. looted countries | she had to provide their workpeople j with food. Germany had now either to run turn foodstuffs to the overrun countries, or to get other countries to supply them. This,, said Mr | Foot, was thei significance of the A food relief agitation" of which so much was being heard. The Ministry was again receiving reports that the Germans were m need of fats, which were of vita* Importance for maintaining vitality und morale. On paper, the' German food rationing did not compare unfavourably with Britain's, but it -vas known that in some parts of Germany the people Avere not rev eeiving the full amount of the ra-. Uons. The growing shortage of textiles /ind tanning materials meant that the effect would soon be felt upon !he output of clothing and shoes, ft was the gradual accumulation of these shortages that was important. It was! known that there was an immediate deficiency of rubber. Eight months ago it was stateid that the total amount of rubber available to Germany for the coming year was 140,000 tons; but Germany' 4? consumption rate of rubber was 300,000 tons a year. In view of the volume of motor transport in the Reich, this was of great importance. For the British blockade to become increasingly effective it was important that there should not be n leakage through unoccupied France. There was no foundation for reports that the Germans were increasing their stocks of oil, Mr Foot continued. They could only get more oil from Rumania by increasing the rate of transport by railway. It was certain that oil stocks were being used rapidly, and it was likely that Germany would probably begin to feel a shortage in aviation spirit this year.