In view of reports which show that some doubts still exist in certain quarters regarding the intentions of the British Contraband Control, it may bbe well to recall a recent statement by the Ministry of Economic War: fare, most emphatically declaring that no cargoes other than those genuinely suspected of being destined for Germany would ever be seized.
During the first three weeks of the war, when there were\ many cargoes consigned to Germany on the high seas, 42 cargoes were wholly seized, while 86 were wholly released. During the subsequent nine weeks, 21 cargoes were wholly seized and' 608 wholly released. These figures do not include cargoes partly seized, Experience of the last nine weeks serves {0 illustrate the overwhelming proportion of genuine neutral cargoes permitted to pass without int ference. The time 6f detention has been greatly reduced since the early days of the war, at least half of the ships subjected to control are now being released within a few days, lish Navy's Achievement The British Navy at the beginning the war totalled some 1,500,000 tons of ships, reckoning on the basis of displacement, comprising all types battleships, "cruisers, destroyers, ind submarines. To this figure must be added an unspecified amount of commissioned tonnage for naval pur poses, which is not inconsiderable in View of the total number of big passenger liners and other suitable fraft Great Britain possesses. Ger~ many, it is stated, has only put out fof action through sinking about £2,000 tons of warships, and most important units in this group were upwards of 25 years old.
the first three months of the year, it ig authoritatively learned, the British Navy enabled nearly 21,000,- 000 of British shipping to keep on the seas with a loss of four per cent, fof total naval tonnage in actual losses or disablement. Moreover, it, pointed out, these losses are part of The price paid for removing from derive participation in world trade bout "4,500,000 tons of German merchantmen, and bottling up the whole of the German Navy, except raiders and submarines—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.