New-York tribune., 1916-02-18
Country Was Free to Ac-
cept German Offer of
Restoration.
BRITAIN CRITICISED
FOR SHIPPING RULES
BalfOur Admits That Rates Are
"Preposterously High" but
Denies Selfish Policy.

London, Feb. I7.-Under the guise OF
question TO Sir Edward Grey, Lau-
renee Ginnell, an Irish Nationalist
Mehmber of Parliament, made the ale
cation in the House Of Commons to-day
that pressure had been used by the
Entente Allies to dissuade the Belgian
government from accepting from Ger
many an offer to reestablish the in
tegrity Of Belgium, TO restore her in
dependence and fully to compensate
her for damages sustained. This
brought a blunt answer from the For
eign Secretary, who said:
THE statement made in question is
entirely untrue"
Sir Edward added that he believed
the statement of an offer being made
TO Belgium was also untrue.
The debate on the Address in reply
to the Speech from the Throne was
continued by Basil Edward Peto, men,
Der for East Wiltshire. who moved his
shipping amendment. He declared that
the present shortage of shipping was
due to ineXpert handling of the prob
lem. The ships requisitioned had not
been economically used, he declared,
and consequently vastly larger num-
bers had been taken than would have
been necessary under proper manage
ment.
Shipping Profits Gigantic.
Mr.. Peto asserted that the gigantic
profits being made by shippers were
a'so the outcome of mismanagemen by
the government. Two-thirds of British
shipping had been requisitioned, and
the remaining third had been allowed
to proceed on the ordinary lines of sup
ply and demand. thus securing prices
which were absolutely absurd, he in
sisted Arthur Shirley Benn. member
fol Plymouth, seconded the amend
ment.
A. J. Balfour, First Lord Of the Ad-
miralty. in replying said he thought
the shipowners could not complain Of
hardships, as rates were not only high,
but preposterously and dangerously
high. He denied that Great Britain
was acting selishly regarding tonnage
or making money out Of the Allies. ar
guing that a country which prepared
to deprive its people OF certain i'm
ported goods in the interests Of an
efficient working merchant service
could not be accused Of acting selfishly.
Referring 10 waste, Mr.. BalfOur
thought that matters might be i'm
proved by giving commercial training
to Admirals and generals, but that was
n matter of a lifetime. 1t was not
through any action Of the Transport
Department that there was shortage
of tonnage, he declared. and whatever
might be said about the policy Of tenn
porarv governmental appropriation Of
the whole shipping strength Of the
country's mercantile marine. he hoped
nothing would be said in criticism Of
H.. navy in this connection.
Great Britain has not refused 20 Al
low food 10 reach Poland, accol ding 20
a statement made by Sir Edward Grey,
the British Foreign Secretary, in reply
to a question in the House of Com
mons to-day.
The Foreign Minister added that the
Entente governments had been ap-
approached with request TO permit
food to be sent to Poland under neu-
tral control, but that the Allies had re-
piled they could not consider the ques-
ton until the various methods of spoli-
alton adopted by the Central Powers
had ceased. To do otherwise, he said,
would be merely to supply food to the
Germans