Evening star., 1940-03-10
Is Golfers Freed;
No More to Go
To Germun Ports

LOSS OF 16 VESSELS Of six coun-
tries reported in past week; Eng
land is chief loser with 6, totaline
1889 tons. Page IA.
REDS CLAIM 2 TOWNS on west
coast Of Viipuri Bay; fighting con-
tlnues heavy on all fronts, Firms
report. Page A.
BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, March 9.-Great Brit
ain tonight traded 13 grimy italian
colliers and their cargoes Of German
coal for assurances that italian
ships In neutral ports waiting to
load German coal would sail for
Italy with empty holds and that
In the future Italian cargo steamers
would not be sent to those ports to
load.
1t was the finale of q bitter
dispute which started March 1 when
Britain decided to enforce her Ger
man export blockade in Italy's
direction.
Tonight's decision returned tc
italy upwards Of 100000 tons OF
German coal. The volume Of Ger
many's coal exports to Italy has
fluctuated between six and seven
million tons during a normal year
Timing Of Action Noted.
Observers were quick to note how
the British timed their action.
Tonight the German foreign
minister, Joachim Won Ribbentrop
Is en- route to have a talk with
Benito Mussolini. It has been con-
sidered quite likely that among
other things he would ask II Duce
what he would do about Britain S
seizures Of the Golfers. The coal
ban hit imports necessary to keep
Italian arms industries going.
In explaining the British commu-
nique, foreign Office circles said
that release Of the Italian colliers
resulted largely from British reah-
zation Of the italian government S
honest misunderstanding" Of the
operation of the blockade. The
foreign ONCE failed to explain the
Misunderstanding"
Certain quarters felt. however,
that the Italians had put up an
argument that carried considerable
weight. They contended the coal
shipments from Germany to Rot
terdayn, where most OF the colliers
Nqrs loaded, had been held up by
tce.locked rivers until after the
British export blockade went into
effect.
'ss Way Open - Resume Talks.
Informed sources pointed out
quickly, too, that settlement Of the
coal dispute left the way open for
resumption Of British-Italian finan-
/ cial and commercial talks in Rome
These sources thought these talks
would continue now with British
coal offered--and accepted-as pay
ment for agricultural and heavy
industrial products desired from
Italy by the British.
/ A far as could be learned tonight
the Is Italian ships Still were ai
the contraband control base In the
Downs and 1t was thought they
would wait until daylight before
proceeding on their way.
The British press hailed the de-
cision Is . blow to Won Ribben-
trop's plans"
Won Ribbentrop had hoped to
make lot Of capital out Of Britain'l
detention of the italian colliers,
said the Sunday Dispatch.
Chief Card Lost.
The Sunday Chronicle said Won
Ribbentrop would arrive In Rome
Ito find he has lost the chief card
IN his hand for the new diplomatic
game he aims to open with Musso-
nni."
The British decision is expected
to prove lone of the most impor-
tant diplomatic triumphs of the
war;" wrote the diplomatic CORE.
spondent Of the Observer. 1T tool
much Of the ground from under
Won Ribbentrop's feet"
The controversy saw registered 9
formal and stih protest from Ital,
but there has been no overt actor
against Britain since the first o.
the ships were seized a week ago.
Italy Protested Formally,
italy has protested formally ane
stinly put has refrained from AM
overt action again Britain since tn,
nrst OF the ships were seized q weel
ago.
The British decision to seize tn,
Italian colliers in the first place fol.
lowed quickly upon breakdown il
British-1t Italian negotiations whereof,
Britain wanted to trade Welsh Goa
for Italian war supplies. Govern.
ment sources here, however, sait
that was not the reason for tn,
seizure decision.
Tonight q foreign ONCE spokes,
man explained also that the decisio,
TO release the italian ships-and {,
'ss (9AA NnAY nD-~ a ~