Evening star., 1940-08-20
Blockade
By Nozis
Held Failure
British Soy Food,
Arms Imports
Are Growing
By H. J. ]. SARGENT.

LONDON.-TheN Mans plan for an
immediate attack on the main
armies of France after the falling
back of the British Expeditionary
Force was essentially sound and
abundantly justified by the results 1t
achieved. Not only public opinion
throughout the world, but also pro-
fessional strategists expected that
Germany would follow up the same
plan against this country and would
attack by every means in her power
in the hope of achieving another
lightning victory.
The nonstop air raids on conveys
in the Channel, the bombing OF ships
far out at sea and the work Of the
German submarines have failed to
do more than disturb super1ciany
the flow of raw materials into the
country. I use the word superflcially
quite deliberately, because although
am not allowed to quote figures
can say definitely that the volume
of vital imports, that is. foodstufis
and munitions or raw materials for
their manufacture. has been steadily
growing. All the blockade activities
of the Germans have not been sue
cessful even in keeping the rate OF
imports stationary.
In fact the so-called blockade has
failed so signally that only a few
days ago it was announced in Lon
don the cabinet had agreed full
ALLEGATION of raw materials for ex.
port could again be made.
A much deadlier blockade is inn
posed by Britain now fighting SINGLE
handed but not unsuccessfully
against that large part of Europe
held by Chancellor Hitler. Always
in the nature of death grip, the
British blockade has now thrown
around Europe a steel ring which
will deprive the Nals and, unfortu-
nately. their victims, OF every kind
of seaborne supply. Nothing will be
permitted to reach Germany or Italy
by sea, and only the reasonable
necessities of other countries will be
allowed to get there. 1t is hoped
that by this rationing re-exports TO
the enemy will be prevented, but the
Nazis will see to it that every one
on the continent goes hungry before
they do.
And that danger Of hunger IS
looming up more and more. From
Denmark and Norway to the south
of France the coming winter is
looked forward to with bitter anxiety.
The corn and fodder crops in Nor.
way and in Denmark are not much
more than go per cent of what they
normally amount to. In Sweden
there is such shortage of fodder
that all the stocks have been con-
hscated. But more significant still
are the figures. which were given
to me by one of the highest author.
ties in this country. about Germany's
wheat and fat supplies. These are
only so per cent Of what the country
requires and those figures. the au-
thority declared, are the real writing
on the wall.
To get back to the blockade Of
this country, it is pity that some
of the people who help to shape
German policy cannot be taken
around Great Britain to see for
themselves how little the blockade
has affected supplies. In particular
the food conditions would cause them
painful surprise. It Is not In
London that you can obtain a real
estimate of how much food the
country has. In one way or another
London will always make a brave
undressing show.
You must go to the provinces and
look at the shops there.
From one end of England to this
other there is no sign Of a food
queue, and even If the submarine
and air menace were to be intensi-
fled 100 per cent the country would
still not 90 hungry.