BRITISH CAPTURES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20060, 5 October 1939, Page 6

BRITISH CAPTURES

TONS OF CARGO CONTRABAND CHECK BELGIAN UNEASINESS GERMAN CAMPAIGN SHIP-BUILDING PLANS (K)it. Tel. Copy rich!- —Un ill'll I’itrr Assn.) (Reed Oct. 5, 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 4. The British Official Wireless Service reports that in the week ended on September 30 the British contraband control intercepted and detained about 33.999 tons of goods in respect to which there was evidence that they were contraband consigned to Germany. The total included £3OO tons of hematite ore, 6700 tons of copra, 6000 tons of phosphates, 2300 tons of oilseeds, 1400 tons of fibres. 1100 tons ol oils and fats. 870 tons of cotton, -330 tons' of copper ore. 300 tons of rubber, 600 tons of fodder, 539 tons of lead, and a number of consignments of chemicals, foodstuffs, silk, wool, tanning materials, timber, hides and skins. This brings the total quantity of cargoes intercepted during the first four weeks of the war to 289,000 tens. Belgian Merchantmen A message from Brussels states that the Belgian Government is financing the construction of new merchantmen to assure the continuance of sea-borne trade. Industrial circles in Belgium are increasingly uneasy owing to Germany's unrestricted submarine campaign on neutrals, especially the Scandinavian countries, from which Belgium gets iron ore and wool. It is suggested that the Government of Belgium should purchase Spanish and Portuguese warships to convoy neutral merchantmen. The Copenhagen correspondent of the British United Press states that Russia is endeavouring to - charter Swedish, Danish and Norwegian ships. It is authoritatively stated that Norway has agreed to lease an unspecified number. Others are negotiating. ' An Oslo message quotes the Berlin correspondent of a Norwegian paper, who says that with the idea of depriving Britain of imports from Scandinavia. Germany is offering to absorb Scandinavia’s exports of coal and industrial products in return for supplies of wheat from southern Europe, especially Rumania.' from 'which Germany is removing her purchases of wheat with ail possible speed.,