§ 6. Mr. STOKERasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether in view of the almost total cessation of movement in the cotton trade, and the consequent growing scarcity of work alike for the operatives and the handlers of cotton goods, and also in view of the fact that our principal customers in the countries adjacent to enemy countries are harbouring feelings of resentment against this country owing to the manner in which they conceive that their interests are being sacrificed by the continuance of the Blockade Regulations, a resentment which is manifesting itself by numerous inquiries and tentative arrangements for the supply ofcotton goods from rival countries, he will so far abrogate the blockade arrangements as to permit of the free entry of cotton goods into Scandinavia, Holland, and Denmark, ignoring, for the sake of the benefit to our own people, the risk of certain of suchgoods eventually reaching Germany?
Mr. HARMSWORTHAn abrogation of the existing blockade arrangements, such as my hon. Friend suggests, could only be carried out by His Majesty's Government with, the consent of their Allies and of the United States of America. His Majesty's Government and the Associated Governments consider that it is necessary for the moment, for reasons of policy, to maintain the blockade, but my hon. Friend may rest assured that they are fully alive to the feeling of irritation which it not unnaturally arouses in this country, and that, as soon as it has served its purpose, as a most important lever for obtaining the enemy's acceptance of such terms as the Allies intend to impose, and the execution of those terms, His Majesty's Government will welcome the possibility of removing the existing blockade restrictions.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODDoes the answer mean that these blockade restrictions are to be kept on until we get the indemnity paid by Germany?