Sept. 4.
Mail news to hand clearly shows the, policy of spoliation which Germany is pur~' suing in the lands which she has occupied. Tu the ease of Denmark there was something to be said for the action in killing off a large amount of livestock, because of the difficulty Of obtaining foodstuffs of which so large proportion had to be imported from abroad. That is now impossible because of the Allied blockade and large numbers of animals had to be killed. Thus it is reported one million. pigs have been killed in Denmark in addi~ ion to about 10,000 cattle condemned death because of fodder shortage. Supplies from Denmark and Holland have had the: effect of temporarily Improving the German vations allowing an extra ounce of butter a week and three to four more eggs a month. Vogetables are being taken from Alsace~ Lorraine to help swell the comparatively small supplies available in Germany itself, while quantities of the same goods enter Germany from Holland to the tune of about 100 railway cars a day. Most of that, how~ ever, Is going to the Ruhr district to provide extra nourishment for the nerve-wracked Inhabitants harassed by the night attention of the RAS.
'Toward the middle of July reports came out of German-occupied France to the effect that the enemy was systematically denuding. the countryside of cattle, horses and other' livestock. 'This is being' done without the slightest pretence of payment, and in callous disregard for the vital needs of the people those areas, and it is reported that they face Inevitable famine this coming winter. It Is also reported that the champagne stocks in the occupied territories are also seized by the German authorities and are being Kept for the purpose of export to secure: much wanted exchange at the end of the War, It is also reported that Hitler has pla ned the seizure of all valuables belt by' banks in the occupied areas and the only possible conclusion is that he is out with Hang to mike a "elean-up" before defeat robs him of his spoils. Naturally all_wat terials would be expected {o fall into the hands of the enemy where he is in posses~ sion, but the robbing of the civilian popula~ their means of sustenance is just surely murder as if they were machine= gunned from the air.
It is in the light of such f German, and some French criticism of the British reluctance to permit relict work to be carried out in occupied Europe must be viewed, Briefly the position is that, atter Germiny has thoroughly looted the' areas. she has overrun, it is now her claim that it is the duly of neutral interests to come to the assistance of the people site has despoiled ad of Great Britain to raise the blockade to such an extent as to permit of the! relief of those whom she has reduced to the borders of starvation by her own ction, Ridieulous as the proposition is, it is significant that that French opinion which two months ago contemplated with resigna~ tion the correctness of the continuation of the British blockade with all its disadvantages to the people of France are now as yer in condemnation as the iniquitous Germans themselves, here are undoubtedly large quantities of goods in the French colonies which would 20. a long way towards relieving the distress.
hich is being brought about by German lotion. In other circumstances it might be possible to permit of the help going into' Europe which went in during the last war. But conditions are vastly different, for there no one amongst the Nazis whose assurance could be accepted that they would not seize the satisfaction of 5 fies of Hitler are now so well known that any British states= amin who pretended to believe that he would abide by his word would be immediately turned! out of office. That he would welcome: for the oppressed peuple from the United tes may be taken for enable him to vob the thin he has done up to the present, what is more, enhance the quality of his reistence to the British—blockade, Thy blockade cannot be raised.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.