MORE ACTIVE PHASE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 January 1941, Page 4

MORE ACTIVE PHASE

ANTICIPATED BY BRITISH MINISTER

GERMANY FEELING BLOCKADE PINCH.

STEADILY INCREASING PRESSURE

i British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. January 11. The Minister of Economic : Warfare. Dr Dalton, speaking ' at Bishop Auckland, said none ' could doubt that in the next few months, perhaps even the next tew weeks. Hitler would ■ open a more active phase in the host Hit ies. Hiller could not afford to remain ' passive while his junior partner in crime was being hammered in Africa and Albania, on the seas and in the air. Dr. Dalton observed. Hitler and Mussolini were both facing the steadilyincreasing pressure of the blockade. Dr. Dalton said the information at his disposal convinced him that in many essential war materials Germany was already beginning to feel the pinch and would feel it more and more as the months went. by. Ho mentioned rubber, copper, nickel and other forro alloys, and wool and cotton as commodities to which his remarks applied. At the same time the Minister disclaimed complacency and warjfed his audience that they must expect a long war. It would not be possible to destroy in a short time what the Nazi warmongers had steadily accumulated over seven years, to which must be added the stocks of valuable materials looted from the countries Germany had overrun. The Ministry of Economic Warfare would work in co-operation with the Navy and R.A.F. continually to intensify the economic war in all its forms. He paid tribute to the exploits of the R.A.F. bombers in adding to the Nazis' economic difficulties by their systematic and accurate blows at Nazi oil stocks and German industrial plants, Dr. Dalton referred to the decision regarding certain supplies to be distributed by the American Red Cross in unoccupied France. "At President Roosevelt’s request,” he said. “Britain has decided to permit, subject to strict safeguards, the passage through our patrols of certain goods into unoccupied France. These goods will be limited to medical supplies in the strict sense which we have always allowed to pass through our blockade, to vitamin concentrates, preserved milk and baby clothes. Those will be distributed by ’he agents of the American Red Cross through children’s clinics and hospitals. “There will be strict safeguards against the abuse of these arrangements. Wo reserve the right al any time to prevent further shipments if the conditions which wo have laid down are not observed. “I am satisfied that this concession will make no significant breach in the blockade. There is no general relaxation of our controls. Indeed, lam glad to tell you that only in the last few days the Navy has picked up a number of would-be blockade runners.”