This is already so restricted that more room for corn can only be secured by hindering the conduct of the war in other ways.

Apart from abandoning overseas traffic, vessels could only be released by cutting down such imports as absorbed much space.

England requires not only great transport facilities for provisions but also for the import of ore to keep up war industries, and also pit props to enable the coal output to be kept at a high level.

In the case of the ore needed for England and the wood available in the country, it is not possible to restrict the cargo space in these two instances.

Already, after three months of the U-boat warfare, it is a fact that the shortage of cargo space caused by the U-boats reduces the living conditions of the population to an unbearable extent, and paralyses all war industries, so much so that the hope of defeating Germany by superior stores of munitions and a greater number of guns has had to be given up.