THE STRANGULATION BLOCKADE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3040, 29 March 1917, Page 5

THE STRANGULATION BLOCKADE

NAVY'S WORK DEFENDED. , (Rcc. March 28, 9.30 p.m.) ■'; . London,; March 27; In. the. House of Commons, replying to criticisms on tho subject of tno effectivenesß of the blockade, Lord .Robert Cecil (Under-Secretary fox Foreign. Affairs and Minister of. . Blockade) declared that the tightening of tho blookade had-. resulted in the complete cessation of oversea importations into tho onemy countries. Ho admitted that the quostioii of home produce from neutral countries adjoining Germany was much more difficult. His opinion was that the only, way to stop euch exports to Germany was by an agreement with tho neutrals. As an example, he said, Norway had) agreed to restrict her trade witl} Grermany provided we supplied her with refined copper. Lord Cecil proceeded to show how; steadily we were increasing the diversion of Danish . andl . Dutoh agricultural products to England, instead of to Germany, and emphatically declared that Denmark had honestly endeavoured to carry out the terms of the existing agreement.. He would ho deceiving the country if he did not say that there waa the greatest shortage of food in Germany as the result of the blockade, and also of wool, cotton, lubricants, and other necessities. He was not inclined to disbelieve the repeated and weE-authenticated reports of food riots in Germany.—Reutor. ' ' . • " .