THE COTTON CONTRABAND

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2548, 24 August 1915, Page 6

THE COTTON CONTRABAND

IMPORTS TO NEUTRALS. By Teleirrapli—Press Association—Copyright i London, August 22. Tho British Foreign Office has issued a return of cotton imports by neutral countries during May, June, and July last, as follows:— Normal total less exNormal ports to average enemy for same coun- . Imports, period, tries. Norway .... 2,032 ( 966 966 Sweden ... 6,-527 ' 5,900 ; 5,832 Denmark ... 1,536 1 617 1,599 Holland ... 7,246 26,820 11,004 This shows that the imports for this period were not substantially greater than in peace time. It is a fair deduction that since May, apart from any other Germany has not received any considerable supply through these countries. The Government does not anticipate that the declaration of the, contraband will involve any great difference in their importations, and ha-s no reason to suppose that American and Egyptian exporters will be in a less advantageous position in the future than during the past quarter. , Speaking in the House of Commons on July 12 last, in support of his urgent plea for an absolute contraband of cotton, Sir Henry Dalziel quoted the following table to show .the increase of the imports of cotton by the neutral countries adjoining Germany ,to indicate the undoubted sources from which Germany is drawing her supplies:— " Bales imported', Aug. 31 to Apl. 30. . 1913-14. 1914-15. Holland 1 .. .... 32,807 413,820 Denmark .... None 65,370 Norway. 60 107,400 . Sweden' .i.- 24,930 735,510 "These are 6erious figures," re commented. From the "Cotton Gazette" he had obtained these figures of thb 'exports of cotton yarn to neutral countries: — June, 1914. June, 1915. 'Norway 218,7001b. 348,3001b. Sweden' ... 108,9001b. 260,8001b.. Denmark .106,4001b. 204,7001b. ■