The Search for Contraband

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 308, 30 December 1939, Page 7

The Search for Contraband

BRITAIN EXPEDITES HANDLING OF CARGOES (British Official Wireless.) Received Friday, 7 p.m. RUGBY, Dec. 29. Tho Ministry of Economic Warfare states that on December 26 there were 48 neutral ships in the three contraband control bases in the United Kingdom, of which 21 had been thero fivo days or less. During the week ended December 23 the Contraband Committee considered many cargoes • of ships which had arrived since the previous week. In no case was the entire cargo seized and in 89 cases entire cargoes were released. Tho system under which advance copies of manifests of cargoes are received and considered before the ships’ arrival in ports of Britain, has resulted during the week under review in 27 cases being so dealt with. In 24 of these the ships were released subject merely to a formal checking of tho original manifests on their arrival at control bases. According to a Paris message, the contraband control of the French Navy held up 16 ships and intercepted 40,000 tons of goods destined for Germany during tho week ended December 24. France so far has intfercepted 402,000 tons of German-bound merchandise since the beginning of the war.