Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-26
VIGOROUS REPLY
TO NEWSPA PAPERS
British Government Issues Four
Column Answer to, Daily
Mail and London Post.
EXPLAINS TRADE FIGURES
Action Is Taken in View Of To-
Days Important Debate :.
on Blockade.
EXPLAINS TRADE FIGURES

LONDON January 2J.-!n amticira-
,ion of to-n norrow's important debate
in the House Of Commons on the block
ado question, the British government.
to-day issued a four column statement
challenging and rcfut!nG statistics re-
Gently published in the Daily Mail and
n" Morning Post concerning what
those newspapers have declared tho
tral countries OF Holland and Scandi-
navta since tho beginning OF the war.
The statement is subjected TO detailed
and minute figures covering all the
ground with the Daily Mail and tho
Morning Pos; for the purpose OF show
ing numerous cases in which errors
have crcpt into figures and in some
instances been ignored. Concerning
the Morning Posts figures on the
British statistics Of importations into
Norway, sweden, Denmark and HoI-
land the statement shows that. ex-
cluding imports for the Belgian Relief
Committee in;o Holland, the imports
or wheat and -four together were
slightly lower In 1915 than in 1913
IMPORTS ARE RESTRICTED
TO NORMAL QUANTITIES
Concerning cotton. figures are given
showing that very large quantities OF
the staple were imported before the
full effect of the order in council was
felt. bu; IT is stated that since April
imports have been restricted to tho
normal quantities imported before the
war. Thus, says the statement, the
imports OF the whole year OF 1919
were 72,7oS tons and in 1915, 3Io.i5l
tons For the period from May TO
December. Inclusive, however, the
figures. rs given by the statement,
are .9.l3a tons in 1918 and 52.l4S tons
in 1915
The statement says the Morning
Posts statistics completely ignore the
fact that in normal times all European
countries obtain great supplies from
Germany and Russia. 1t is forgotten,
the statement adds, that Russia an
nualiy exports 100000 bushels of grain
which must now come from other avail
able sources.
The statement points out that the
Daily Nails figures were all derived
from the Danish daily commercial
paper, Borscn. II says the figures were
greatly inflated by the inclusion OF
cargoes sent into the prize court.
which, under agreement, concluded
some months ago with the Danish ship
ping lines. TO avoid delay, were per
m!tted 10 proceed TO Denmark for re-
turn TO England or. in certain cases.
for storage in Denmark until after the
war under the joint supervision of
the shipping company and the British
legation. The Horsen also included in
its Denmark figures. the statement
says, cargoes destined for other coun-
tries. like Norway.
DAILY MAI. AND MORNING POST
STICK TO THEIR GROUND
The governments reply to the allie
cations OF the Daily Mail and the
Morning Post concerning Iooseness In
the blockade against Germany is the
subject OF editorial comment in the
morning papers While the Daily Mail
and The Morning Post stick 10 their
ground and declare that the govern
ments statement deals mostly with tho
side issues. other newspapers assert
that the governments reply is abso-
lutely convincing and unanswerable.
Tho Daily News says.
There has rarely appeared a more
crushing exposure than that issued by
the government In reply to the latest
Northcliffc scandal The frcbrands of
the press have demanded that We
brush ncutrals out Of our path with n
strong hand hut what would be the
position OF entente allies If the vast
resources of The United States ceased
to he At their command?
"The governments statement shows
the present scheme OF economic pres
sure is working on Germany with ruth
less certainty
The Daily Chronicle says:
Anything more crushing than the
governments reply cannot be imagined.
The official statement shows the au-
ihors of the Daily Mail and Morning
take that amateur statisticians could
make"
The Post In It's editorial columns de-
fcnds it's Washington correspondents
war; trade figures, concluding with a
repetition Of It's demand that the ad-
miralty. instead OF the Foreign Office,
bc allowed tn formulate the blockade
requirements lin order to allay public
uncasincss.'
In conclusion. the Post declares that
the result of the Foreign Offices mem
orandum is that tho country Is In
state OF dense confusion upon the most
essential element in the conduct OF the
war.