Evening star., 1936-02-09
BY JACK BEALL.

ONLON.-NO LldCLeT whether
sanctions against Italy are ef-
fective or whether they, with
further oil sanctions, are
doomed to failure in making Italy
give up its war against Ethiopia, il
Is q matter Of no dispute that they
already have cost England a pretty
penny.
In the first two months sanctions
have operated officially for which fig
ures are available, it appears that
the shrinkage in Great Brtain's ex-
port trade to Italy has been well
over S10.000,000. If sanctions keep
up and political tension grows more
strained, the acceleration in trade
cuts will be marked.
BY far the worst effects of a sane
lions policy which has caused Great
Britain strictly to cut of trade with
Italy in certain materials disable for
War are the countersanctions which
italy has imposed as punishment
to the nation it considers chiefly re-
sponsible for trying to strangle it.
Coal OFF Greatly.
Coal Is the largest single item on
che export list to Italy. The value
of coal exports to Italy last Decem-
Der was only $4,000, as against ST.
100000 in December, 1888.
When 1t is considered what this
tremendous reduction means in terms
Of unemployment in Welsh mines it
can be seen that Italian countersanc-
tions have their sting. Mining always
has been a turbulent industry threat
ened with strikes and notorious for
unemployment and low wages. A re-
duction in this sphere is an especial
sggravation to unemployment.
OF course, coal, like oil, is one of
the things which has not yet been
approved by the committee of experts
at Geneva for the embargo list. Eng
land gladly would sell coal if Italy
would take it. But Italy now fills its
needs from Germany, which is out
side the League, and from. Poland,
where it has especial interests to cul-
tivate.
There has been some outcry by Lady
Astor in Parliament and in the news
papers about many of her constituents
at Plymouth being deprived of their
livelihood because there is no Italian
market for their fish. Many times in
November and December their Slnacks
would come In laden with good catches
of pilchards, fish much esteemed on
Italian tables, and it would be the
forlorn necessity of their masters with
in the next day or so to put to sea
again and dump most of the catch
overheard. The loss to the pilchard
fishing industry is $1,000, 900 year.
The herring fisheries suffered in
proportion. In November and De-
cember of 1884 Italy took $3.50 900
worth of herring from English and
Scotch fishermen. In the last two
months of 1885 only $145,000 worth
went to the fractions Mediterranean
country.
Raw Wood Shipments Down.
Exports of raw wool in the 1894
period were $185,000. Under sane
tons they were $4,000. Woolen and
worsted goods exported In the last
two months Of 1884 came to $285, ,000-
In 1885 to $4,000.
Cotton piece goods exports once
brought S25, 600 a month to British
pockets from italy. Under sanctions
they amounted to less than one-tenth
that amount.
Machinery was one OF the things
that italy bought in great quantity
from England. Italy still needs Brit
tsh machines badly, but it has taken
only half the usual amount, or $780,
600 worth, in sanctionist times. Ex-
port of electrical goods and apparatus
has been cut to a third; cutlery and
hardware. to half; chemicals and
drugs, to fifth, and automobiles to
IN eighth. Coke and manufactured
fuels formerly were exported to the
tune Of $350,000 in two months; now
adays they bring in bare $4,000.
These are typical of great numbers
Of commodities, beside those articles
which are absolutely banned. There
Is great to-do in the press here as
to Great Britain's being the only one
Of the sanctionist countries living up
TO its bond, and strictly cutting OF
exports OF embargoed goods. Whether
this is true, it is clear that they have
been cut to a mere driblet, which
means nothing commercially to the
life of q nation which lives more on
It's export trade than any other great
power except Japan. The deliberate
sacrificing Of an important overseas
market such as Italyis is no small
matter.
Under conditions of stagnant or
declining trade, these cuts would
Rave been much worse for Great
A4..ai1l than is the case now. with