§ Mr. Hughesasked the Minister of Economic Warfare what Germany is estimated to have lost by way of supplies as a result of the attack upon the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics?
§ Mr. FootDuring the past 18 months Germany imported from the Soviet Union substantial quantities of essential war materials, including cereals, oil, timber, manganese, chrome, apatites and cotton. Oil imports for this period were in the neighbourhood of a million tons and included lubricants and aviation spirit. In addition, the Trans-Siberian Railway was Germany's only link with the Far East, and during recent months goods have been reaching the Germans by this route at the rate of well over 500,000 tons a year, consisting mainly of animal and vegetable oils and fats, but also including rubber, tin, copper and tungsten. The immediate result of Germany's unprovoked aggression against the Soviet Union is, of course, to cut off all further supplies from and through Russia. Nor, as things are, can these be replaced by German imports from any other source.