CONTRABAND CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 December 1939, Page 7

CONTRABAND CONTROL

SEIZURE OF GOODS TO DATE. MANY VALUABLE PRODUCTS. I (British Official Wireless.) I RUGBY. December 27. During the week ended December 23 British contraband control intercepted 6824 tons of contraband goods suspected of being designed for Germany. This total included 4568 tons of petroleum and allied products, 660 tons of cotton. 614 tons of foodstuffs and beverages, 214 tons of fibre, 212 tons of tin, 105 tons of rubber and quantities of non-mctallic products, oil and fats cereals, wool, gums and resins, hides and skins and timber. A Press Association message " from Paris states that the French contraband control examined 16 vessels in the week ended December 24. and seized 40.000 tons of goods. SWISS MISSION. REFUSAL TO ACCEPT ALLIED INTERPRETATION. BERNE, December 28. The Swiss mission which has been attempting to negotiate an economic agreement with the Allies has returned from Paris. Official circles state that Switzerland refused to accept the Allied interpretation of contraband control procedure. The Swiss are determined to maintain economic independence at all costs, though drastically curtailing trading with the belligerents. Since the beginning of the war. the Allied contraband control has seized approximately 900,000 tons of produce destined for Germany. The effect of the seizure of cotton is to be seen in the reports of the rationing of clothes in Germany. When a German wants new clothes, he must submit not only his ration card, but also his worn-out garments. If the garments are not recognised as worn out, then he must wear them till the authorities consider they have been sufficiently worn. —By radio.