BLOCKADE OF GERMANY

Evening Star, Issue 23692, 27 September 1940, Page 8

BLOCKADE OF GERMANY

NO RELAXATION OF EFFORT POSITION OF NAZI-HELD COUNTRIES LONDON, August 16. The British Government is determined to maintain and intensify the blockade of Germany and German-held territory. ’ It will not he deflected from its purpose by an appeal made by the Foreign Minister in the Petain Government, M. Baudouin, or by a statement by the Stefani (official Italian) News Agency that the British blockade cannot affect the adequate German and Italian food supplies, hut it imposes grievous shortages and sacrifices upon the countries deceived by facile. promises of British help and which are now vanquished. “ England thinks that Germany, in consequence of her victories, has assumed the responsibility to feed the people rendered hungry by the British blockade,” the Stefani Agency added. “ This is an absurd and truly immoral illusion.”

[Dr A. L. Goodhnrt, the Americanborn professor of jurisprudence at Oxford, in a letter published hy 1 The Times’ on August 8, said: “International law, which represents the moral sense of all civilised countries, has always held that it is the primary duty of an occupant of enemy territory to ensure public order and safety in coun r tries he has seized. The duty to save from starvation the inhabitants of territories which ho occupies therefore falls on Hitler and on no one else.”] liberation first. It’ is the official view in Britain that •‘bread and liberty will come in 1 together to the occupied countries in

Europe ” when the armies of liberation march in.

A high authority indicated that the British Government is viewing the problem with a clear eye when he said: “ It is not our business to keep these people so well fed that they can produce large quantities of munitions for rise against ns. Their position naturally arouses sympathy, but we have to win this war. Any food supplied to Europe would go to the German and Italian armies. Broadly-visioned elements in the United States .understand our attitude. It is not Britain which is enforcing starvation on Europe if famine comes. “ One can be sure that Germany will not equitably distribute food, and we can reduce the energies of these people a long way before they reach the starvation line.

•' We are accumulating a great pool, of food which hungry Europeans will almost ‘ smell.’ The Government is arranging to store surpluses of food from Canada and Australia, making part payment to producers. The Cabinet’s Economic Policy Committee, of which Mr Arthur Greenwood is chairman, is dealing with these surpluses. The committee aims at doing at least partial justice to producers and at minimising the total loss pending the opportunity to put these surpluses into liberated Europe. Britain is holding food in trust for the day when Hitler is hounded out. A highly-placed official said to-day that Britain’s first aim was to defeat Germany and Italy militarily. Even if Hitler walked out of France Britain would not be tricked into supplying the country with food unless the German armies were beaten. The Ministry of Economic Warfare is closely watching Spain’s imports, and has sent two British trade exports to Spain to ensure that Spain gets reasonable supplies, but does not help the enemy. . . Britain is arranging for Spain to obtain wheat without payment by way of loan, and also cotton to restore the Catalonian industries. POST-WAR PLANS. The British Government, it is authoritatively reported, is examining a plan for the accumulation and storage of present surplus stocks of foodstuffs throughout the Empire against the time when they will be available to territories which Germany is now occupying. The plan includes financing of the purchase of the surpluses. Authoritative sources state the German propaganda that Britain Is forcing famine upon Europe may be discounted, since it is estimated that there are nearly 10,000,000 tons of bread and grains in Europe, in addition to foodstuffs, such as dried milk, formerly exported to Britain. If Germany, therefore, distributed food equitably between the occupied territories there would be sufficient to stave off actual hunger for a considerable time. ■” A message from Vichy states that the French Foreign Minister, M. Baudouin, has stated that he is doing his utmost to persuade Britain to permit the importation of food to France, and that Britain’s decision will bo made soon. “ I know that Britain considers the blockade one of her best weapons,” M. Baudouin is reported to have said. “ Sentiment at present does not govern the relations of States, which were united by a long comradeship in arms, but Britain ought to use her weapon with more consideration in view of the enormous sacrifices which Franco has made, and also in view of France's tragic position. “ A blockade directed against Germany through France will strike at vanquished France, but its effect on Germany is problematical.

“ Germany has agreed to guarantee that goods imported into France will be reserved for French civilians. “If my request goes unheard all France must know that everything possible has been done to spare her privations, and the people must not then unjustly accuse either the Government or the occupying authorities of responsibility for her misfortune.”-