CONTRABAND CONTROL

Evening Star, Issue 23378, 22 September 1939, Page 6

CONTRABAND CONTROL

SEIZURE OF NEUTRAL SHIPS BRITAIN'S POSITION OUTLINED (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 20. The Ministry of Information states that some misconception appears to exist with regard to the question of the seizure of neutral ships intercepted by the British contraband control. The position is that normally only cargoes of suspected contraband are seized, and that as soon ns these have been unloaded the ships carrying them are allowed to proceed. No neutral ship has been seized since the outbreak of hostilities, and it can be ’taken as certain that no ship would ever be seized which had loaded cargo before the war began. Even ships which loaded cargo since then would normally be seized only if there was evidence that they were being used with the knowledge of the owners for the carriage of contraband to the enemy. The total value of the contraband consignments to Germany intercepted and detained by the British during the week ended September 16 is estimated at rather over £500,000. The total quantity of Manganese ore intercepted since the outbreak of war now amounts to over 3,000 tons. This represents about 7 pev cent, of the total German annua] imports of this commodity, which is of great importance for the preparation of special steels. In the case of molybdenum concentrates the quantity intercepted represents an even more important proportion of Germany’s annual supply of an alloy and metal essential for the preparation of bullet-proof and other steels. MUTUAL ASSISTANCE PACT TURKEY AND ALLIES ANKARA, September 21. The Foreign Ministry (Bay Sukru Snracoglu) announced that the negotiations for a mutual assistance pact between Turkey, Britain, and Franco were proceeding “ most satisfactorily.” WATCHED BY AMERICA DEMOCRACIES' INTERESTS IN FAR EAST TOKIO, September 21. (Received September 22, at 8 a.m.) The ‘ Nichi Nichi Shimbun ’ states that the United States has assumed the responsibility of watching the interests of the democracies in the Far East. Recently an aircraft carrier was transferred to Manila with 15. heavy bombers. The United States has decided to replace with new 15 old submarines, also to advance by several months the 1940 Pacific fleet maniEUvres, to build air bases in Alaska, Midway Island, and .Johnston Island, and to broaden the Panama Canal. '