The British Government is paying close attention to the growing German threat to Britain's coal export trade, Experts associated with the Mines Department are collaborating with representatives of the coal industry in the examination of possible defensive measures, states the "Daily Telegraph and Morning Post."
Side by side with these discussions there are proceeding: Informal talks with representatives of French industry about the decrease in imports of British coal; and continued endeavour to bring together the coal-exporting nations in some form of cartel.
Leaders of the British industry have been of the opinion for some time that special measures must be taken if the export trade is to be maintained at a sound level.
Exports, which last year were considerably higher than in 1936, fell in the first seven months of this year by about 200,000 tons.
The situation is not yet regarded as serious, but it is recognized that emergency measures must be taken soon if Germany continues, by uneconomic methods, to capture British markets abroad, At present heavily subsidized Westphalian coal can be sold in markets "where Britain and other exporting nations are competitors at "cutthroat" prices, considerably lower even than those paid in Germany.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.