World War: Blockades

The war of blockades continued the realest war. Germany boasted that the Allies were minimizing their tonnage losses. She claimed 115 British merchant ships totaling 475,321 tons as against 210,021 tons admitted by Britain. At the same time Germany declared that only three U-boats had been sunk. Britain and France each replied with a report of another U-boat sunk, bringing the number claimed by them to more than 20 or nearly one-third of the known Nazi undersea fleet. From a smashed U-boat found on Goodwin Sands, British divers took more than 50 bodies. Score for the war’s eighth week of all shipping sunk by German mines and torpedoes: six vessels, 28,677 tons. Score for the Allied blockade of contraband goods was not given out, but it was believed higher than ever. The control ports were crowded and busy.

Complaints against the Allied blockade have been registered by Argentina, Chile, Japan, The Netherlands, Belgium, the Scandinavian countries, the U. S. But these complaints were private. Last week Germany’s big new friend Russia complained formally, officially. In a note handed at Moscow to British Ambassador Sir William Seeds, Vice Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vladimir Potemkin found the interests of neutral countries gravely impaired, international trade destroyed.

By the same token of international law which forbids bombing women, children and oldsters, Russia said it was wrong to deprive them of food, fuel, clothing. Russia therefore “declares that it does not agree” to the British contraband list and rules, does not recognize the control port inspection and seizure system, especially since Russian ships and cargoes are State property. “On the strength of the above,” Russia reserved the right to claim compensation from Britain for losses incurred. No trace of alarm was shown in London over what one eminent legalist called Russia’s “fantastic” position.