§ 4. Major HUNTasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the fact that cotton is now essential to the manufacture of cartridges for rifles and of ammunition for guns, and that it is not against international law to make it absolute contraband, he can now say why the Government refuse to make cotton absolute contraband, in the interests of our Allies as well as of our own soldiers and sailors?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord Robert Cecil)I beg to refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the full statement on this subject made by me on Monday.
§ Major HUNTIs it a fact that the amount of cotton already imported this year into Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Holland collectively is more than their normal importation was in the average years before the War; and is it not a fact that a great deal of this cotton gets to Germany?
§ Lord ROBERT CECILI cannot carry the figures in my head, but no doubt there has been a very considerable importation of cotton into the neutral countries named during the whole of this year. I hope it has been very much diminished during the last few months.
§ Major HUNTDoes the Noble Lord know whether it is a fact that there has been more cotton already imported by those countries?
§ Lord ROBERT CECILI have said there has been.
§ Mr. WATTCan the Noble Lord say whether the excess of cotton imported into Sweden is used in Sweden or not?
§ Lord ROBERT CECILI should not like to say whether that is so or not.