The Daily News. SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1916. FEELING THE FULL WEIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1916. FEELING THE FULL WEIGHT.

"Tlie big joke of the war" —that is liow certain of the neutrals regard the British blockade of Germany, according to the special commissioner of a London paper and also a representative of an American journal. Britain lias 'been very tardy in her employment of the most effective weapon she possesses against the enemy. She has been too tolerant of the feelings of neutrals, who have in most cases taken advantage of this consideration and improved the shining hour by doing a thriving trade with the enemy and keeping him supplied with many of the articles of which he is vitally in need. The recently published returns of trade between America and Scandinavia and Holland for the past year and the year before the war afford striking proof of the defeat of the blockade. The British have Certainly been searching many of the vessels engaged in the trade, but they have been satisfied to accept the statements in the manifests as to the destination of the cargoes. The manifests, of course, were "rigged." The Scandinavians and Dutch have been laughing up their sleeves at the gullibility of Britain. But the indications are that John Bull is about to get right down to business and make the blockade real and effective. It may mean treading on the corns of neutrals, but that cannot be helped. The neutrals, indeed, are already complaining, America's voice, as usual, being loudest; but we are not going to be hoodwinked again. If the neutrals don't like it, they will have to put up with it. The alternative is fight, ana. i|mt is preferable to being allowed to teed' Germany. By their duplicity ana lying the neutrals have put themselves right out of court. It is a pity they were not brought up with a round turn toont'hs ago. Britain has been altogether too considerate, too fair, with these unscrupulous people. In her invincible sea power she possesses the most effective weapon she can use against the enemy, but until now she has only put it to partial use. The time lias evidently arrived wlieA the enemy and her unscrupulous agents in America, ■Scandinavia, and Holland are to feel the full weight, and with it the end of the war must be brought appreciably nearer.