Evening star., 1939-11-23

CGTIleQ anu Tile DaVlu Lawrence.
whole export trade of Germany is
subjected to Strangulation of the
utmost severity. The laying of mines
indlScriminately off the coast of
England by the Germans has fur
nlshed the provocation to the British
to shut off all German exports, but
it was inevitable that Germany
should be blockaded against all out
going as well as incoming trade if
economic pressure by the allies was
to be applied to extremes.
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Fin
land, Holland and BELGIUM will feel
the pinch, and to gradually in
creasing extent Italy and the Balkan
States. But the strategy of the
allies permits, they reason, of no
other course. AS for world opinion,
the British and French governments
feel that the neutrals know the war
is being fought to preserve the inde-
pendence of small states and that
hence the peoples of neutral coun-
tries will undergo considerable
hardship without developing any
appreciable amount of i'll will
against France and England, as
might have been the case if Ger
many had not been the aggressor.
Cash-Carry Assists Allies.
The finishing touches are being
put on the British scheme of contra
band control this very month and
it is interesting to note that the
latest American revision of the
neutrality laws really makes it easier
for the allies to know what is being
exported from America to Europe
than they could possibly have known
in the period, for instance, prior
to American entry into the World
War in 1917. Under the provisions
popularized by the isolationists in
the last two sessions of Congress and
virtually forced upon the admins
tration in order to get the embargo
repealed was system of "caSh and
carry" by which title has to be
transferred before any goods are
shipped out of the United States to
European belligerent ports. In the
period between 1914 and 1917 the
allies had no way of getting at the
contraband trade unless they seized
American or neutral ships plying
between ports of this country and
Europe. But now that title has to be
transferred to foreign hands on
American territory and virtually all
the shipping which crosses the
Atlantic covers cargoes destined in
whole or in part, directly or in
directly, to belligerents or neutrals
contiguous to belligerents, the
British can establish their system Of
passport or certificate control in
the United States itself.
Thus, by congressional action, the
United States Government has
transferred to foreign governments
authority over what shall or shall
not pass out of America to European
ports. 1t is, of course, very desirable
from the British and French view
points that they find out what is
being exported without being put
to all the trouble of stopping ships
at sea, boarding them, examining
papers or diverting vessels into their
own ports abroad for detailed in
spection.
Effects Allied Dictation.
But, from the standpoint of
American tradition and American
rights, the spectacle of agents of
foreign governments sitting in New
York and, in effect, telling Ameri-
can exporters what they can or can
not ship and to whom they can or
cannot sell is such violent change
from anything that has happened
before in the history of the United
States that it is doubtful whether
the people generally realize the
precedents being established in
favor of belligerents and against the
freedom of neutrals.
It is, of course, contended academ-
ically that America surrenders no
rights under international law, but
the practical effect is the same.
Actually, too, it is better for the
foreign governments to conduct
their inspections and issue certif-
icates before cargoes are shipped
from America than to cause delays
and introduce the hazards of in
spection or seizure at sea. The British
may well smile at the good fortune
resulting to them from the demand