The subsequent speeches in the House of Commons in the debate on the blockade generally indicated an agreement that the Government was doing its best under all the circumstances though some speakers still believed that more goods were finding their way to Germany than should.
Lord Robert Cecil, Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, winding up the debate, contrasted tone with the vehemence and hostility of some outside criticism. He said that the Forei, valued very highly ssu the improvement of a difficult and complex business but the vehement attacks in the press were not doing any good. He emphasized the difficulties of a regular blockade. The Government was trying an unprecedented thing in blockading Germany through neutrals and must proceed very cautiously. On the whole not much was reaching Germany.
The matter was talked out.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.