17 JULY 1915, Page 2

In the Commons on Monday Sir Henry Dalziel raised the

question of allowing cotton to enter Germany. We let our enemy receive from overseas the most essential material for producing high explosives. The imports of cotton into Holland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark had leaped up in such an extraordinary way that it was plain that Germany was being adequately supplied. Cotton should be declared contraband. Lord Robert Cecil admitted the profound importance of the subject, but pointed out that it raised very difficult international questions. The Government had to respect the legitimate rights of neutrals. They had adopted a plan which they believed was effective, if not absolutely perfect. If they were wrong, they were ready to adopt any further plan subject to the limitations of international law. After all, we were fighting for international law, and must of course respect it. Under the present plan cotton for Holland was consigned to the Netherlands Overseas Trust, which guaranteed that it should not go to Germany. If cotton were declared contraband to-morrow, the problem of American consignments to neutral countries would have to be faced. To buy out the whole of the American cotton crop would be a very serious financial undertaking.