THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT, OCTOBER 18, 1940.
Page
What The British Blockade Means
"IN. a total war the economic benefit,
however,
German all the resources of terrorism were blockade must be considered as economy. The German people is called ini. Merchant ships were the principal weapon." That pro- 110 better off. On the contrary: by sunk without warhing. Passengers position will be found in a book the impoverishment of all the liners were torpedped and the de-" published in German by Stefan vital forces of the conquered a fenceless, crews of lightships were Th. Possony, an authority in mat- tions, the position of the German machine-gunned. All this was done ters of strategy and an economist people is that of a military con- without distinction of flag and of considerable reputation. The queror economically vanquished. without any respect for the neu- book deals with "the economy of
The economy of the German trality of any nation.. total war," and the passage quoted above gives a clear idea of Ger- people has for long been in a state mun thought on the subject of blockade. As for "total" war, it was the German general, Luden-
of extreme debility. The new Ger- man conquests will make its in- ferior standard of living perman- ent, for there will have to be fur.
Any ship that came
near the coasts of the British Isles risked. being sunk by German magnetic mines, by submarine and by air-
dori, who in a now famous work ther sacrifices in addition to those craft. That was what the rulers | was the most fanatical exponent which the German
of the conception of a war which should demand the employment of the maximum resources of a coun- try, at the highest degree of in- tensity and with utter ruthless- ness, in order to achieve a light- ning victory.
It is precisely this two-edged process which the rulers of the Reich are putting into practice in the present conflict. On land the Germans have followed the ideas outlined in Possony's book-"the land offensive must be powerfully supported by an army of tanks and aeroplanes.'
people was called upon to make in order to
By
Robert Mackay
feed the German war machine, Besides, the economic welfare of of other peoples. a people depends on the welfare
of the Reich called a sea blockade! Great Britain from the world fail- But the German attempt to isolate
cd. British naval forces found ap- propriate means of defence against| such acts of terrorism by sea, and the sea-borne commerce of all 'nations with Great Britain con- tinued.
Mr. J. R. M. Smith, Mus. B., the well-known Hong Kong musician, who is to conduct the Chamber Orchestra China Defence League's Benefit Recital at the Peninsula Hotel to-night.
at
the
inter- For nearly a century national usage has recognised the following principle as universal: a sea blockade to be binding must be made effective by any nation applying it. Germany could not ever. The blockading power must command the sea, and cannot fulfil that indispensable effectively condition. On the contrary, she is The British Navy fulfils that con- On land therefore the policy of faced by a naval force which can, dition. It is for that reason that the Reich has achieved one result in fact, impose such a blockade to-day the British Navy is in a a long-dis- only: it has terribly reduced the the British Navy. The fact that position lo establish economic potential of other peoples Germany claims to dispose of cer- tance blockade-a blockade hot of But what is the economic situa- and thereby of its own. Af sea, the Lain Atlantic ports does nothing to harbours, but of ocean routes. tion which this German military consequences of German policy modify that situation. Germany process creates? It must be borne have been even more disastrous may claim to dispose of the ports. in mind that mechanised warefare for the economy of the Reich. It The fact is that she cannot use is not only one of destruction, but is no doubt in order to hide that them. It is the British Navy which that it has brought in its wake fact that German propaganda has debars her from using them, and Germany of given out recently this laim as all the propaganda in the world many nations on the continent of the Reich has conquered all the cannot alter that simple fact.. Europe. That being so, it is clear Western seaboard of Europe, from that however great may be the booty which is robbed from the peoples conquered by Germany, the economic result is nothing short of disastrous for the Reich itself.
the enslavement to
the Pyrenees to the north, the blockade of the Reich is without effect. But the truth is very dif- ferent, and the facts themselves best dement of the supply the German claim.
Efficacy Counts
in
which the British Government has adopted become quite clear. From now onwards, all ships, as well as cargoes, consigned to ports Europe, to certain islands of the Atlantic and to ecrtain neutral ports in North Africa, will have to be provided with navicerts issued by British authorities. That is a practical means of enforcing the control already exercised by the British Navy. The sea block- ade of Germany will be a hundred per cent. blockade. But duc con- sideration will be given to the re- quirements of neutrals. Indeed, the new system will be found to facilitate legitimate trading:
The Reich aspires to conquer the sea by land-a curious inversion process of con- of the historic quests! But the attempt is a vain one. This modern German version of Napoleon's continental system, which incidentally failed miser- ably, has had but one result: it has made it much more difficult for The fact that the region subject- Germany to obtain the products ed to blockade is an extensive one she requires from overseas coun-
The new measures, by strength- does not in any way
By her
the affect the tries.
own action and ening the blockade, render
of so economic blockade of Germany principle of blockade. What counts through the enslavement is the efficacy of the blockade. many nations in Europe, Germany still more efficient. But they do doors which more. They help to shorten the Resources Of Terrorism Moreover, it is evident that, even has closed all the
before the era of Trafalgar, a sea stood ajar and through which some war by depriving Germany and By reducing twentieth century It must not be forgotten that it blockade did not consist merely in contraband goods still managed to Italy of many of the elements they. warfare to the level of barbarian was the Reich itself which, from drawing a cordon of warships pass.
require in order to give effect to devastations, the new German the outset of war, tried to impose round port. In addition, the
their policy. of conquest...Thus the system of war results in a terrible a blockade against England, with- stupendous progress of maritime
sea blockade imposed by Great Britain serves the cause of hu- reduction of the economic wealth out however disposing of any legi- inventions has prodigiously en of the conquered nations, without timate means to make it effective. larged the radius of action of sea
manity by serving the cause of conferring any real compensating To make up for that deficiency, power. On one condition, how
peace.
German Debility
7
Navigert System
In the light of the above facts the reason for certain measures
DAIRY FARM'S
BIG FIVE!!
• POPSICLE
FUDGICLE
• ORANGE-ADE
O PINEAPPLE-ADE
• ICE CREAM
BUY THESE DELICIOUS PRODUCTS EVERYWHERE!
THE DAIRY FARM ICE & COLD STORAGE CO., LTD.
Pure Food Specialists