ECONOMIC FRONT: Polite Strangulation

Economic warfare must be regarded as a vital offensive arm complementary to the operations of the three [fighting] services, and the activities of the Ministry will be of the widest scope.

So read an opening communiqué from Britain’s new Ministry of Economic Warfare, which last week set quietly about its business of strangling Germany internally while warriors blasted it from without.

In World War I, the similar Ministry of Blockade did not really get the screws on before 1917. When it did, the results were accounted the greatest single factor leading to Germany’s final collapse. The Blockaders under Lord Robert (later League-loving Viscount) Cecil gradually pushed neutrals into yielding belligerent Britain’s right to have the Royal Navy arrest neutral shipping on the high seas, and “examine” its cargoes.

Last week the new Ministry of Economic Warfare cleared its way by announcing that Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare entitled Britain to retaliate, and by solemnly adding that “no blockade of Germany in the formal sense of the term has been declared.” It was to be simple strangulation: thoroughgoing, but informal. The idea was, not only to prevent anything helpful from reaching Germany direct, but to “ration” Germany’s neutral neighbors so as to make sure no helpful surpluses would spill over their borders into Hitlerland.

Appointed to perform this job was Ronald Hibbert Cross, M. P., 43, an Old Etonian with a War record in the Lancaster Yeomanry and Royal Flying Corps and a public career closely parallel to that of President Viscount (“Czecho-Slovakia”) Runciman of the Board of Trade, for which Mr. Cross has been Parliamentary Secretary. By trade a merchant-banker, six-foot Ronald Cross has before now earned personal preferment as high as Vice-Chamberlain of His Majesty’s Household in 1937. As lord-master of neutral shipping, he will now be a key war figure, with Viscount Cecil’s record to shoot at.

Cooperating with Mr. Cross in France will be Paul Morand, one of those literary public servants upon whom public life in Europe so often devolves. Morand’s academic background is his link with professorial “Soldier Premier” Daladier; he attended Oxford University and the Paris School of Political Science. He has served in France’s London, Rome and Madrid embassies but never dabbled in the world trade which he will now help govern.

First act of Britain’s ministry was to have King George sign a contraband list, which was not made public before the U. S. State Department had looked it over. Under “absolute” contraband were “all kinds of arms, ammunition, explosives, etc.,” and articles for using or making them; “fuel of all kinds” and all “contrivances . . . articles . . . animals . . . ingredients” for using or making; all means of communication, tools, instruments, maps, machines; all “coin, bullion, currency, evidences of debt.” Conditional contraband (i.e., to be sidetracked or commandeered by the British if they choose) were “all kinds of foods, foodstuffs, feed, forage and clothing.”

Announced by Minister Cross were five control points where he proposed to have the British Navy go over questionable cargoes. These were Kirkwall (in the Orkney Islands), Weymouth and the Downs (English ports), Gibraltar and Haifa (Palestine). Neutral vessels bound toward Germany were politely requested to call at these ports, to save trouble all round. To reduce delay, ships were urged to have their papers and cargo manifests drawn up in convenient duplicate for the British officers.