Meade County news., 1915-02-11
BLOCKADE IS
A Big BLUFF?
BRITISH OFFICIALS SAY THAT
GERMANY CAN'T BOTTLE UP
THE BRITISH ISLES.
HAS TOO FEW WAR VESSELS
Expect Neutral Countries to Step In
Russians, spurred on by Car at
Front, Show Burst of Speed and
Force Invaders Back.

threat of blockade has created a
great wave of indignation among the
newspapers and the public it is re-
garded by many high officials as a
bluff
IL Is claimed that with the small
number of war vessels at the disposal
OF Germany, 1t will be quite impossi-
Bile to make the blockade effective.
SO far as shippers are concerned,
very little alarm apperas to be felt.
AT Lloyd's the underwriters viewed
the threat calmly and made little
change in the war risk rates.
Inquiries at Liverpool, Glasgow and
other points show that no change is
contemplated in sailing schedules;
most OF the companies stating that it
is their intention to carry on business
as usual, unless stopped by admiralty
orders.
Great interest is shown in the ques-
ton OF how neutral countries will
view the threat, and extensive ex
tracts from comments in American
and other foreign newspapers are pub.
lished here.
Inc pompous decree, threatening
sudden death to all who venture To
approach the British coasts. adds moth.
ing to what our enemy has done or
mas attempted to do since the begin
hing OF the war; says the Westmin.
ster Gazette today in commenting on
the announcement of the German ad.
miralty.
Inc Westminster Gazette generally
reflects the views of the British cabi.
net.
The same effort for the last five
months" the paper continues. "bas
Deen made continuously against our
"arships and transports with results
that nave been almost nil. From the
military point of view, if the Germans
turn from legitimate war to the threat
OF piracy, 1t is merely because in legit.
innate war they hitherto have had no
success. The use of submarines against
British merchantmen will no more in.
duce the government to scatter the
fleet for supposed security against
these sea raiders than did German
mines and Zeppelins or the raids on
coast towns"
The Westminster Gazette infers
mat the German people are suffering
more from the pressure of our sea
power than we hitherto have realized"
Coincident with the arrival at the
front of Emperor Nicholas, the Rus.
SLAMS nave assumed the offensive di.
rectly west of Warsaw and accord.
ing TO a Russian official statement.
nave crossed the Bzura river and tax.
IN some German positions.
Parts OF France Facing Famine.
Namur, Belgium, via London, Feb G
Thousands of women, children and ,
lged men in those portions of North
'rn France lying along the Meuse riy-
# which are occupied by the Germans
re facing starvation with no hone of 2
elief, except the food that the Amer. n
can commission for relief in Belgium q
sending south from Namur. Carts d
rawn by horses supplied by the Ger. p
ian army are being used for the h
of food through the
fountains of some sections. Sedan, A
lontherme, Nouzon, Charleville, Mo- B
ON, Mezieres and scores of other vii.
ges are absolutely without food ex-
epting the rations that the German
'Idiers share with the civilians. The
ridges over the Meuse were burned
Y the French when they retreated. L