MON
Saturday
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
19, 1940,
BRITAIN'S BLOCKADE CLOSES LIKE VICE
By Walter Hill:.
On August 1, 1940 the British blockade was extended to the countries conquored by Germany, while the remaining neutrals in Europe are now being strictly rationed,'
capacity that has
The loss of the greater part manufacturing of the French Navy to the Allied fallen into their hands.
True, they haya, gained access to cause and the increase in the the vast French iron ore deposits as number of ports controlled by well as to those of Luxemburg and Gormany has not seriously Spain, and they have secured their weakened Britain's power to cut supplies of Swedish ore. They have the Nazis off from non-Europe also at their disposal virtually the whole of I Continental Europe's steel- an sources of supply.
making capacity.
If anything the blockade as an But iron, though quantitatively the instrument of warfare has be- most im in modern steel. The tough Is not the only, in- come easier to handle, for con- gredient in
required in war contalas, in- trol can now be exercised largely gredients, commonly known DA steel on the high sens and at the ports alloy metals, which are not produced of shipment overseas.
In any quantity in the countries con- The weapon of the blockade is quered by the Nazis, Gennuny's designed to undermine the enemy's gains in iron ore and steel-producing by capacity are therefore by no means staying and striking powers denying to him the means of re- as great as appears at first sight. plenishing his granaries and his
nrænals. It
•
work may
slowly, Nor, with the notable excep- especially if the enemy has secretion of bauxite, has Germany ample
stocks. But it can make a decisive contribution to ultimate secured large gains in non-fer- rous metals. The control of the victory over the Nazis
With their overseas supplies of big French bauxite deposits will, aw materials cut off, the admittedly, add to her capacity Nazla are now dependent on the re- sources of Europe and on what they to produce aluminium, a metal which is vital to the manufac- can obtain from Russia,
foods
The
and raw
and
her satellites.
But Russia, even if she were will- turé of aircraft. ing, cannot assist them declaively In The big cotton and wool textile in- supplying vital commodities; she still dustries on the Continent will be of has little to spare and she does not little use to Germany in the absence the facilities to transport of overseas supplies of raw cotton yet pontities of manterials to Ger- and raw wool. Simarly, the jute large
industry will be idle for lack of In- many
resources of Continental dian raw jute. In flax, on the other Europe
like sufficient hand, the Nazis have secured addi- are nothing either to ensure the maintenance of tional supplies. In the main, how- food supplies at the level of recent ever, their textile production will be enable the Nazis to ob- confined to rayon and related ma- to years or tain the full benefit of the manufac- terials. turing resources that have come un- One of the Nazis' chief problems, der their control by conquest, alliance however, will be the lack of fuel. or Intimidation.
in coal they are fairly well supplied.
and
will
suffer a
In normal year Continental though the 30 million tons normally Europe is not even self-sufficient in sent to the Continent by Britain can- the basic foodstuffs for her human not be immediately replaced.
In oll, however, they animal
nal population and in the fertilisers necessary to maintain the serious shortage when present stocks yield of agriculture. Large quanti- are exhausted, for the gap between ties of these have to be imported Europe's output and requirements is
from non-European wide. In
a normal year Ger- the countries elther oc-
every
year
sources of supply. In the three many d
1936-38, for exumple, Con- cupled or controlled by her consume
years
tinental Europe imported" on the some 27 mil
million metric tons of oil average more than 10 milion metric tons of grains.
annum. per
Consumption can be cut down by drastic economies; but it can scarcely be reduced by, more Moreover, owing to the cold than one-third without seriously winter, the mobilisation of far- hampering industry, and transport. mers and the destruction of
crops caused by invasion, this But on the most favourable year's harvest will be smaller than usual,
assumptions, Continental Europe can produce only about 12 mil- lion tons per annum. The de- duce such conventional necessities as ficiency will thus amount
Nor does Continental Europe pro- coffee, tea and cocoa and she is nor mally
a large importer of tobacco.
to some 6 million tons annually.
But while food supplies will be ap- Russia, though a large producer preciably smaller, there is foundation of oil, has little to spare, while for the reports of wholesale aturva- access to the supplics of Iraq and tion, provided the Nazis available
Iran is barred by the British suppiles fairly, Intereating corroboration of this blockade. came from Zecsen itself on August 15
nna decu
distribute
Was
reported
that the French
Though
when
the Nazis have secured Minister of Agriculture, M. Casillot, substantial Immediate advantage by had declared that France is provided the extension of their hegemony on with sun
sufficient food supplies: they the Continent, the British blockade, distributed it effectively employed, WHI gradu- only need to be rationally
will and every French needs in the coming we have all he ally, say their staying and striking power, for it will prevent them from To let in outside food supplies now making full use of their ill-gotten would only strengthen the Nazis who gains. They will be short of basic are evidently perturbed about the foods and. of conventionul luxuries. morale of the people of the countries They will be short of, raw material which they have overrun.-
to feed the Continental industries Nor will the Nazla be able to And they will be short, of oll which
advantage of the full
the is vital in warfare.
secure
The A BRITISH
Way
CORRESPON- DENT suggests that the gentleman who wrote to "The Times" recently asking whether civil servants could not be in- duced to work overtime was on the wrong tack, He should
have asked, "Cannot civil ser- boxes.
Of The
Civil Service
vants be induced to work?" An Actually in the interests of that sort of thing energetic friend of ours tells us economy that the address of the civil ought to be stopped, because we service headquarters in his arca shall lose a number of valuable is "Station Buildings." People civil servants by death from who have to do with the staff nervous breakdown. thore call it "Stationary Bulld The old adage "All work and inga."
no play makes Jack a dull boy" Another friend of ours who does not mean that Jack be was in quite a different depart- comes bored and dull, it means ment had a staff of a dozen that Jack's intellect becomes clerks under him. Things were dulled as a knife-edge does, and so badly organised that they he cuts less ico. nover had enough work to do, For overworking civil ser- during normal working hours. vants of that sort the R.A.F. But in this sudden violent rule ought to be applied, and they thrust for output they were qr- ought to be ordered out of dered to work overtime till their offices for 24 hours every seven o'clock. So they stopped week. If they are ordered out till seven and were paid for the then. they cannot suffer aub- extra hour, but there still was conscious irritation caused by not enough work to keep them the feeling that they are letting busy until aix.
anybody else down by taking Admittedly there are vast leave. numbers of permanent civil ser. The criticism applies more to vants who are quickly overwork- the lower grades of civil ser
They
··FIRM AS A ROCK
Knew About Mines
Before The Armada
[INES, magnetic mines, minefields, sweepers-the warring nations
MT
spend millions in an endeavour to deny safe passage to the foe, Book
while securing it for themselves.
Gianibelli, the Italian, is referred to as the "Father of the naval
mine."
And he has earned this title, says Professor A. M. Low, who gives vivid descriptions of Gianibelll's successes with explosive fireships.
Spain's hold on the Netherlands depends on Antwerp, which was besieged by the Duke of Parma in 1584.
In Brief
width to be bridged to 1,300ft., and granite sides of the ship, rained habit of thoroughness in statistical
in this gup were placed 32 barges, each 62ft, in length.
over
wide
the
Daring seamen ran the blockade with foodships up the Schelde until
with
He is a German doctor, once in a Much of the bridge and its troops Parma sealed this leak
between vanisheet.
charge of a clinic in Berlin, now colossal bridge of boats
He has made a The earth shook. A wild glare practising abroad. Kalloo and Ordam, where the river
was followed by lnky darkness, study of the medical journals and was 2,400ft. wide and 60ft. deep.
(whose technical Heavy timber piles reduced the Tombstones, ploughshares, metal and pronouncements
chunks, packed between the quality combined with the German
land, with
has circumvented the with fragments of research many of the thousand slain victims. censor) throughout the period of the A sleeper roadway 1271.
But one of the Antwerp comman- Nazi "war." crossed the barges. Powerful block- ders, Admiral Jacobzoon, a vallant The war, so far as Germany is houses were built along the whole sailor till then, became "Jacob Run concerned, began in January, 1933. length, and a fort guarded each end. Away." He stood by the rocket Although Dr. Gumpert Includes in his This amazing structure was com which was to start a great sally unifested themselves since last leted on February 25, 1585.
from the city if the explosion were Bridge and
and wooden piers were lined with parapets, and each barge had two pieces of artillery, four sailors
16th- 32 soldiers—a and century floating Maginot Line.
Armed vessels and great land guns guarded the bridge. Heavy rafts, with spikes and hooks to plerce enony ships, were anchored up and down stream.
·
•
"Hell Hunger!" By Dr. Mar- tin Gumpert. (Allen and Un- win, 51. not.)
"Mine and Countormine,” Hutchinson, 12s. 6d.
4 successful. Fleet and soldiers were Antwerpers were aghast until ready to pounce on the shattered bold Glanibelli, the engineer, Spaniards. demanded three ships and 60 But he slunk back and told Ani barges, giving guarantee that were that the project had failed. he would smash the bridge.
The timid people reluctantly gave
him two ships 10 and 80 tons-the
Fortune and the Hope.
Antwerp surrendered,
Undermined Germany
THE wishful sinking of the Themys usa te is one of the
the developments that have September, he regards the whole period of Nazi rule as one of cumula- Live war strain, for throughout that period all considerations in Germany have been subordinated to the pur pose of a maximum output of war energy.
•
His revelation is shattering, yet convincing. He even pleads for pity to be shown to a Ger- many which is on the point of paying the penalty for Herr Hitler's systematic undermining of the German people's health: that people which "has reached the limit of its physical and psychic working capacity."
Rickets, syphills, diphtheria, drum- He lined them with bricks and
kenness, suicide, mental disease, crime have corroded the very fibre of the mortar, and put his explosive in marble chambers covered with tomb-
German mun, woman, and child. stones. Ile covered these with wood
The political propaganda against and bonfires, to
the persunde
gourmandising ("Schlagkraft oder Spaniards that they were ordinary routine comforts under war Schlagoberal", or "Fighting Power or strain. Harr Goebbels is a Whipped Cream!") is shown salenti- freships.
The Fortune was fitted with a master of the technique. The feally to have defeated its object by slow match to set the explosives real proof of strength is the re- undermining military strength. As than the body, the Hope with
a clockwork section of auch essays in self. the spirit is strongeston, has dam- offic mechanism for the same purpose.
tho denial of liberty;"
wolfaro. The Fortune ran ashore and did no deception, and the ability to
aged physical ing themselves to death. I vants who have not the Inteill has the Hope struck, the bridge. Whenever a book appears on this most interesting while under Hitler,
to face the, truth.
We are given
en what is perhaps the of all the statistical know of lots of highly-placed gence to rise above the grade of the Spanish guards leaped, aboard side of the battle front portraying a revelations, thnt, man who stay at their offices clerk and insist on doing every-
Germany tollering on the very brink the number of students in univer- until dangerously late hours, thing strictly according to rule and put out the deck fire,
Ensign de Vega plucked the mantle of collapse, we rightly assume it to silles and technical colleges has doubly dangerous in those days It also applies to men and women of the Prince of Farms and begged be false until proved to be true, badly slumped, the number of theo
Tortens
I students has been quadrupled: of prowling L.D.V.B.
of all ages who have taken on him to return to one of the forts, at Such suspicion is Healthy CRANIA
Dr. Gumpert quickly weathers all in one sense because of Hitler.. What And there are others who, jobs as civil service clerks and the ends of the bridge. He did so
Just in time.
Menifasado such suspicion. He writes with an particular sense that may be is sug- after staying an Into as they have no real Interest in their The Hope went up in the biggest overflowing documentation of proof gested by the fact that theological can, take packets of work home work, and no appreciation of the explosion ever created by man up 10 in a field where he is competent study has had to be proscribed as a
himself to judge.
"political crime." With them in locked despatch importance of it.
that time.
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W. R. LOXLEY (CHINAT 11
BACK TO LIFE
"How do you feel this cooening, Jock"
"Ugh
** LAce that, aế??! * Woror shan that f**
"Good party, though. Never enjoyed an evening as much for years."
« I've never hated a morning as much. I'm still tatving foverlikly on my bed of pain. In fact I don't suppose Ï shall ever get up again. Send me some books from time to time, will you? And a fem flowers. Tell the boys I'm keeping
a silf upper lip.
"Hasnobody told you about Gimleta? I stuck to them all evening. Feel as fresh as a whole field full of daisies." * You mean that Rose's Line Jalca taker care of the hangover beften it starts!"
"Definitely. It's known as 'a there- peutic agent if that conveys may- thing to you."
* It might, if way mind could grung words of more than one trilable. I kay ---- I think X'll send out for some right sway. May act vetrospectively. Thanks for ringing old boy. I feel better already. See you one of these days at the club, Good-kye.”
RED FIERY EYES! | Journal.
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