A yet more elastic conception allows other Powers to trade with—and where possible deliver to—England and France and also with Germany. Always, however, Lorc} Grey's criterion of impartiality must be employed and Sir Samuel Evans's expression "so-called rights" borne in mind, No neutral can legitimately complain if his attempted assistance, direct or indirect, of one belligerent is stopped by the other belligerent, so long as that belligerent uses means which the common conscience of hu-inanity will approve. That conscience does not approve the mine adrift in the high seas and liable to sink neutral in trade with neutral; it does not sanction the destruction by submarines of neutral vessels merely suspected of carrying contraband, and, because a submarine cannot accommodate prisoners, of the drowning of neutral crews, It does not even consent to that kind of treatment applied to a belligerent's merchantmen. Hence Britain's reprisals, Meat, Butter and Sugar The Australian exportable surpluses of meat, butter, sugar, eggs, dried and canned fruits have been purchased by the Imperial Government, which has not only agreed to take the whole of the available supplies but to arrange the necessary transport. These contracts, added to purchases of the wool clip and of large quantities of wheat, flour and metals, cover a total value of over £100,000,- 000. The price arranged for choicest butter is £6/16/4% a cwt, fob. with slight reductions for lower grades. The price of cheese is expected to be about £3/12/- a cwt.. f.o.b. Top prices per lb, for frozen meat are: lamb 744d.; mutton, 333d.; beef, 5 ig meats, Tied.
The balance of the surplus production of raw sugar, estimated at 290,- 000 tons, has been purchased at a net return of about £10 a ton f.o.b. at mills, which compares with the low average return of £8/4/3 a ton on the vious season's exports.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.