§ 10. Mr. PETOasked the Under—Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any record of the tonnage of maize and other feeding stuffs imported into Holland during the first five months of this year compared with a similar period of 1914, and of the pigs and pig products exported from Holland to Germany in the same period; whether he will consider the effect of permitting the import of full pre—war quantities of feeding stuffs by 1842 Holland without a corresponding agreement for the import from Holland to this country of meat on the same scale; and whether he will take steps to prevent this indirect method of supplying the enemy with food stuffs, and particularly lard and other materials from which glycerine can be extracted?
§ Lord R. CECILThe total of feeding—stuffs of all kinds imported into Holland during the first five months of this year were 304,130 tons, compared with an average importation of 588,664 tons for the same period during 1911–13. The imports of maize for the same period were 187,515 tons, compared with 358,962 tons for 1911–13. According to the official Dutch Trade Returns, 20,987 tons of pigmeat were exported to Germany during the first five months of this year, compared with 2,017 tons in the same period of 1914. In the same months 358 pigs were exported to all countries, as compared with 5,700 in the same period of 1914. Dutch meat is now being imported into this country from Holland, the quantities exportable to Germany being thus proportionately reduced. With regard to the last part of the question, the quantities of maize and rye importable into Holland are limited, since November last, to 225,000 tons per quarter, and those of oil cake and meal have been likewise reduced to 70,000 tons per quarter. No meat is now imported into Holland. According to the Dutch statistics only 2 tons of vegetable or animal oils (except fish oil) or of lard have been exported to Germany this year.