BLOCKADE

Before the World War, blockade meant the cutting off from all commercial intercourse by sea of one or more of the enemy’s ports. Since this involved interference with the right of neutrals to trade with either belligerent, blockade had to be enforced by certain rules and regulations. During the World War, when Great Britain applied commercial and economic pre ure to the Central Powers, a complete revolution was wrought in our ideas of blockade, and the old rules and regulations need not, therefore, be detailed. The mere isolation of the Ger. North Sea, ports— blockade of the Baltic ports was alwaz; impo ible—would have effected nothing, for the enemy could have supplied himself through Holland and the Scand in avian countries. A similar difficulty arose during the American Civil War. After the Federal fleet had blockaded the southern ports, the Confederates arranged to get supplies through Mexico. To this the Federalists replied by a erting the doctrine of ‘continuous voyage or ultimate destination,’ and stopping goods consigned to Mexico, but really intended for the Confederates. On this principle the Allies stopped_all ve els going to or coming from Scand in a via and Holland, and seized so much of their eargoes as was shown to be of enemy origin or destination. All shippers in northern neutral ports were required to obtain from the Brit. consul certificates ' of origin, and these were only i ued after proof that the goods were in substance neutral. All other goods from these ports were liable to seizure. Though this action was said to violate|say ceeded on the Orders in Council of May,| tali at i on for 4 German. alan campaign The measures. ind i hie ee, cated above practically brought the enemy’s outward trade to an end by the close of 1915. The stoppage of enemy imports was, however, a much more difficult matter; neutral nations had to be} treated with consideration, and Amer.| public opinion had especially to be} concillated, The consequence was that|its a completely effective stoppage of e , by the middle of 1916 the blockade! of the Central Empires was far more complete than any blockade of history. The problems involved were very complicated, and involved not only the searching of neutral ships but the determination of what goods were genuinel intended for neutral consumption. UL timately neutrals were induced to accept a system of rationing based on pre-war supplies. Their acceptance of this measure obviated the doubtful validity of the procedure. Interception of the overseas trade of our enemies was only a portion of the blockade. Similar steps were taken to prevent goods pa ing through Switzerland; this was largely managed by the French and Italians, through whose country the goods had to pa before reaching the Central Powers. It is certain, however, that this part.of the blockade was never so complete as it might have been. Efforts were also made to limit the exports to the Central Powers of produce and manufactures from the northern neutrals and Switzerland, but after elaborate negotiations the result was only partially satisfactory. After the entry of America into the war, the Allies had control of all important sources of overseas supply; neverthele it is doubtful if more was achieved than under earlier conditions. The truth is ‘that up to the end of the war all the border neutrals, except Norway, and perhaps Sweden, were more afraid of Germany than of tho Entente. It is worthy of notice that Denmark, though she ran graver risks than the others, maintained a commercially favorable attitude to the Entente throughout the war. The cumulative effect of the blockade was undoubtedly to inflict a large amount of hardship and suffering on enemy population, but the blockade was no worse in its effect than the novel and ‘murderous methods of warfare intro- ‘duced by the Germans. It was largely the blockade that broke down the Ger. morale, though it would be too much to that the war could have been won by blockade alone. name, which dates ~BLOCKHOUSE, to the XVI. ’ cent.,? for a small back temporary fort composed of logs, corrugated iron, or other material, roofed in, | ond loopholed for rifle fire. It is sometimes surrounded by a trench, and entirely covered with earth to render-i6 |}omp and fire proof. |