THE BLOCKADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24420, 4 October 1940, Page 7

THE BLOCKADE

NO RELAXATION GERMANY’S POSITION LIVING ON STOLEN FOOD (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Oct. 2. Mr Hugh Dalton (Minister of Economic Warfare) spoke of the successful work of his department to-day when addressing the National Defence Public Interests Committee. The blockade, he said, had achieved remarkable success in the first year of the war. Both Germany apd “Italy were seriously deficient in . such key commodities as oil. ferro alloys, rubber, lead, copper, and textiles, without which it was impossible to carry on a modem war. Although Germany had benefited bv the loot she had obtained from conquered territory, that, advantage was only temporary and ..was offset by the loss of. substantial imports formerly 'received from occupied countries, which were now subject to the blockade. : The stocks thus seized, though larger than he liked, were not large enough and would add no more than some, months’ supply to the enemy’s resources. Position of Neutrals Speaking of surpluses, the Minister said he was sure certain neutral countries would understand that it was contrary both to their own interests and the policy of the British Government that they should accumulate large stocks of goods needed by the enemy. He added that a committee of Ministers had completed an exhaustive survey of the principal areas affected and also of the principal commodities ot which large surpluses exist. “ The lines of the policy to be pursued are clear,” he said. “To succeed fully they require the effective co-opera-tion of a number of countries, notably the British Commonwealth, the United States, and the Latin American republics. I'see it as a development of the beginning of economic planning on a world-wide scale. How much more hopeful such a prospect seems than all the futile fantasies of Dr Funk”

Oil a Key Commodity Speaking of oil supplies, which he described as a key commodity. Mr Dalton reminded his audience that the German war effort in 1918 died out when the sunnlies had fallen to 1,000,000 tons. To-day’s powerful, highly-integ-rated but brittle Nazi economy would have a much higher die-out figure. Mr Dalton added that his experts told him that the Germans had ndw nearly exhausted the oil stocks that they captured in the occupied , territories. Outlining the food situation, the Minister said that in Europe there would be no famine this winter. There was enough food to go round if it was properly shared out. Although he had given much thought to the subject and had had the benefit of much expert advice, he had been unable to discover a satisfactory watertight scheme of guarantees against food, imports into any part of enslaved Eurone finding their way into Nazi hands. The proposal to relax the blockade seemed to him exceedingly untimely Mr Dalton added: “ Night after night German airmen scatter bombs, many indiscriminately, over London and other part of our country. They return after killing many of uur women and children to enjoy excellent breakfasts in the German Air Force messes, just across the Channel in occupied France, Belgium and Holland. They feed on food stolen from the French, Belgians and Dutch. Why should we put more food into the occupied countries for them to steal? Why should we, fighting for our lives and still exercising command of the sea routes, be expected to provide better meals for these Nazi fly-by-nights? ”