§ 2. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has now received information of measures taken in Germany to reduce the use of cotton in manufactures in such a manner as will cause it to be mainly or entirely used for military purposes?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. Grey)According to information in the public Press—which is the only information at present available to His Majesty's Government on the subject—the German Government have assumed control of the stocks of cotton in the Empire, with a view to their economical use; and they have prohibited the manufacture of certain kinds of goods which are not articles of necessity.
§ 22. Commander BELLAIRSasked whether the naval reports are of such a character as to indicate that it would be of assistance to the Navy in stopping Germany's cotton supplies to declare cotton a contraband article?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)From a purely naval point of view it seems immaterial.