Germany's "Continental Blockade "
Germany is working hard at her plans for establishing a " Continental Blockade " against Britain. Though Russia and the Balkans are essential to her ambitious schemes, she would doubtless regard it as the greatest triumph of all if the Scandinavian and Low Countries could be brought under her influence. There may or may not be more sinister motives behind her concentrations of troops near the Dutch and Belgian frontiers, but one at least of her objects would have been achieved if she could frighten Holland and Belgium into a so-called " neutrality " which would be wholly unfavourable to trade with Britain. But the obvious spear-head of her economic attack at the moment is against Sweden. Swedish-German trade negotiations which have been going on side by side with Swedish-British talks have been accompanied by menace. It is reported that the Germans have gone so far as to demand nothing less than a complete stoppage of trade between Sweden and the Allies, threatening that they might employ U-boats ruthlessly to enforce it, and extend their mine-fields to the limit of Swedish territorial waters. But Sweden is not without bar- gaining power. Her iron ores are indispensable to Germany. Nor are Germany's methods endearing to those whom she would force to be her friends. Governments which were under her influence a year or two ago are no longer with her. In spite of all the money she has spent in Spain, it is with Britain and not with Germany that Spain is pre- paring to trade.
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