In view of reports which show that some doubts still exist in certain quarters regarding the intentions of the British Contraband Control, it may be well to recall a recent statement by the Ministry of Economic Warfare, most emphatically declaring that no cargoes other than those genuinely suspected of being destined Óor 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 698 wholly released. These figures do not include cargoes partly seized.
Experience of the last nine weeks serves to illustrate the overwhelming the price paid for removing from active participation in world trade about 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.