The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-03-15

l tinually exposed to German subma i rines and are naturally included in a German commanders reports.
 The most serious aspect of the Ger man submarine warfare is that reflect i ed by consideration of post -bellun conditions with regard to shortage of world tonnage Besides affecting the whole world, it is likely to affect most seriously the smaller nations who have no mercantile marine of their own to rely upon and are dependent upon that
 of other nations for their sea traffic.
 NEUTRALS ANXIOUS However much the Germans may desire to force neutrals to lay up their vessels and close neutral harbors, such state of things cannot exist long because the neutrals themselves must obtain certain necessities in order to avoid the intense economic situation which at present obtains in Germany. This fact is necessarily better known to the neutra1s themselves than to those not immediately concerned. As regards the general situation of the submarine warfare. it may thus
 be summed up: It is having a more serious effect upon European neutrals than upon belligerent mercantile ma
 rine The continual losses of ships will seriously affect post-bellum trade.
 The losses of British mercantile ves-
 sels in the first six weeks represent percentage of 2.3. while the average daily movement of vessels in United 1 Kingdom ports is 710. The figure ex cepts fishing and local craft
 '.If the same rate of destruction were
 to continue at this average it would
 take at least a year to reduce the Brit ish mercantile marine by one half without taking into. consideration addi- tional tonnage produced from building or purchase. Food restrictions in Great Britain have been imposed in order to avoid the effects of the war pressing too country. and they further curtai1 law ish expenditure and the, waste of pro visions.
 STATEMENTS ISSUED Tt is the custom of the German authorities to issue official criticisms of measures adopted by the allies as regards the control of foodstuffs and
 restrictions on imports, and these criticisms are produced entirely for the consumption of neutrals and are an at tempt to impress their own population with the efficiency of what they term their submarine blockade
 Tt Is only to be expected that we are bound to take precautions in order to avoid within the next two years economic stress which might then ex- ist here as it actually does in Germany today. The passage of troops and mu- nitions continues without any dimin- tuition and only the neutral coutries of Holland and Denmark and Sweden are experiencing a temporary reduction in the amount of exports from Eng land.
 Apart from butter, the import of foodstuffs in February has been very
 satisfactory and it should not be for gotten that in the statistics showing
 the quantity of foodstuffs imported
 in the month of February to British
 ports considerable quantity which
 would normally reach them has been diverted to French ports for the use of the British army
 Despite this, however. the position
 regarding home imports themselves is
 satisfactory Flour and grain for Feb-
 ruary are above the average. Meat
 shows from 10 to Is per cent increase
 above the average of the last seven
 years. Margarine is coming in great
 CT quantities than in any previous
 year and this provides for the falling
 off in butter Rubber is increasing
 slowly each month and the February average was above tn~t of January Iron ore shove one-thfrd increase over 1915 and 1916
 If any conclusion can be drawn from the board of trade statist1s of the import of necessities into Great Britain during the month of Febru- ary very different result would have to be shown by the German submarine blockade, for up to the pesent time there has been no falling off excepr
 Tn sugar. wood and butter''