"The Blockade of Germany lasted from 1914-1919 and was a prolonged naval operation by the Allied Powers during and after World War 1 in an effort to restrict the maritime supply of raw materials and foodstuffs to the Central Powers. It is considered one of the key elements in the eventual allied victory in the war." [Wikipedia] Various sources put the blockade's death toll at anywhere from 350,000 to over a million, yet few make any mention of the fact that most of these deaths were among the civilian population, not among the fighting forces which would have been the Allies' only legitimate targets for military operations. Further, the blockade was continued fully eight months after an armistice ended hostilities. Thus, we regard the Allied Blockade of the Central Powers as one of modern history's little-known great crimes against humanity - yet the author describes the effects of this repulsive violation of international law and custom as "a great achievement"!

Despite being 800+ pages, this volume makes remarkably brief mention of the blockade's death toll among the German civilian population -

Post-World War I German Poverty: Under-Nourished German Children. oldmagazinearticles.com

as though this were an insignificant bit of trivia. Yet, since "the fighting efficiency of the German army was never reduced" - in other words, since the blockade had failed in its only legitimate mission - this death toll among women and children is in fact one of the foremost results and must be kept ever in mind by anyone reading the following pages. We wish to add here only two illustrations to bring this consequence to the fore.

1) The photo at the right is from an early 1920s magazine and shows starving German children from one of the more impoverished regions of Saxony or Thuringia. Months or even years after the war had ended, this was still the "great achievement" of Britain's "naval operation"!

2) Our page graphics are based on a 1924 drawing by Käthe Kollwitz titled "Germany's Children are Starving". Both the drawing and the date of its creation speak for themselves.

If Germany had committed these crimes against another nation, the world would still be talking about it with justified outrage to this day. But since the perpetrator was a more politically correct empire, let's blame the victim instead: read on!

    Scriptorium,
    19. July 2013, almost 100 years after the events described in this book.

It was originally hoped that a history of the blockade during the great war might be included in the official history entitled Naval Operations, but this was found impracticable.

It seemed to the Foreign Office and to those who will be responsible for the future education of British naval officers that it was really important that a history of the blockade should be compiled, and it was accordingly proposed to the committee controlling the official histories of the great war that this work should be undertaken; the committee accepted the suggestion, and Mr. A. C. Bell, of the Historical Section, Committee of Imperial Defence, was entrusted with its compilation. The Library of the Foreign Office, which is responsible for all historical work that is undertaken by that department, and the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence, which is responsible for producing all the official histories of the war, became conjointly responsible for putting together, and making available, the material upon which this particular history was founded, and for exercising some general supervision over its production; as this conjoint responsibility has throughout been a cordial co-operation, it has never been necessary to settle what share of responsibility was borne by the Library or the Historical Section. It soon became apparent that the work would not be suitable for publication, but (like the official History of Military Operations in Persia) should be printed and kept solely for official uses.

The history is principally based on official material contained in the archives of the departments concerned with the direction of the blockade - first and foremost the Foreign Office, and then, though in a noticeably less degree, the Admiralty. It was not practicable to consult the archives of the Board of Trade owing to the time limits imposed on the historian, who was obliged to content himself with the Board of Trade letters which appear in the Foreign Office files. The typescript was submitted to the Admiralty, who made a number of valuable suggestions; the Board of Trade also received a copy of the typescript, but they declined to take any responsibility for the history. In as much, however, as the general direction of the various operations (apart of course from the naval side), which are described as the blockade, was centred in the Foreign Office, where the Minister of Blockade, when appointed, was established, it is only natural that the bulk of the material on which the narrative is based is to be found in the archives of that office, which include those of the special departments created for the purpose of dealing with particular aspects of the blockade, such as the Contraband Committee, the War Trade Statistical Department, the Restriction of Enemy Supplies Department, the War Trade Intelligence Department and the Foreign Trade Department. It may therefore be desirable to state that, while the present work is an official history written from official archives, in this case mainly from those of the Foreign Office, it has never been the practice of that department to allow current policy to influence any historical research which has been undertaken at Foreign Office instance. At the same time, the official historian is under an obligation, in view of the nature of the material which he has been authorised to use, to consult with the officials of the department and to ascertain their opinions on the operations which he describes; and in the present case it was naturally desirable that as much assistance as possible should be obtained from officers who had actually taken part in the conduct of the blockade. The long list of Foreign Office officials, retired and active, who have assisted the historian shows that this has been done with regard to the present work.

[iv] Acknowledgments and thanks are accordingly due to many who have assisted the official historian by supplying material and by reading parts of his work and contributing valuable criticisms, especially to Lord Howard of Penrith, G.C.B., Sir Esmond Ovey, K.C.M.G., Sir Robert Craigie, K.C.M.G., Mr. Alwyn Parker, C.B., Mr. Gerald Spicer, C.B., Mr. O. O'Malley, C.M.G., and Mr. C. L. Paus, C.B.E. The work has also been scrutinised throughout by Sir William Malkin, G.C.M.G., Legal Adviser to the Foreign Office, and Sir Stephen Gaselee, K.C.M.G., the Librarian and Keeper of the Papers at the Foreign Office.

It is also desired to acknowledge, with thanks, the help of Mr. C. V. Owen of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence, who compiled the statistical tables, and as Colonel E. Y. Daniel, C.B.E., the Secretary to the Historical Section considers the help that he has given to official historians for twenty years past to be a mere matter of duty which calls for no remark, this places everyone who benefits from his assistance under a very particular obligation to acknowledge it duly.

The historian has found it necessary on certain occasions to express his own views: these represent his personal opinion and are not necessarily endorsed by the Foreign Office or any other Department of His Majesty's Government.

Finally, the word blockade in the title of the book should be regarded as if it were placed in inverted commas: for the expression, though conveniently employed as a general description of the measures taken by this country to deal with enemy commerce during the great war, is technically inaccurate, as a legal blockade of the central powers, in the technical sense given to the word in international law, was never declared, and the powers taken by Order in Council to deal with the trade of the central powers generally, and Germany in particular, were justified as reprisals for their infractions of international law.

Foreign Office, S.W.1.
      1st March, 1937.

[v]
Chronological Table

1856	...	Declaration of Paris
1866	...	Horsfall Commission on merchant shipping
1868	...	The Geneva Convention
1883	...	German enquiry into food supply during war
1899	...	First Hague Peace Conference
1900	...	The Export of Arms Act passed
1905	...	Royal Commission on food supplies German (Schlieffen) war plan approved Naval war orders issued to C.-in-C., Home Fleets
1905-1907		New naval war plans in preparation
1907	...	Second Hague Conference: First meeting, 15th June; Final meeting, 18th October
1908	...	Admiralty and Foreign Office undertake enquiries into Germany's dependence upon overseas commerce
	July	New naval war plans issued
	November	Foreign Office call for consideration of British commitments Admiralty estimate economic consequences of war with Germany
	December	London Conference on International Maritime Law
1909	Feb.-Mar.	Declaration of London signed
1910	August	New naval war orders issued
1911	...	Committee appointed for considering trading with the enemy legislation
	June	The Agadir crisis
1912	May	New naval war orders completed - in force in outbreak of war
1912	...	German Government appoints standing commission to prepare to meet economic pressure
1914	August 3	Trading with the enemy legislation: first proclamation issued
	"    6	Naval forces in the Mediterranean placed under French command
	"  20	Inter-departmental conference to consider the Declaration of London
		First Order in Council issued
	"  27	Censorship of mails begins
	"  28	Customs Exportation Act passed
During the month		Entente powers present notes that Scandinavian neutrality will not be violated
		Export Licensing Committee appointed
		Restriction of Enemy Supplies Committee appointed
	Sept. 9	Trading with the Enemy Act passed
	"  27	French decree against trading with the enemy issued
	"  30	German decree forbidding money payments to the British Empire
During the month		Belgian Comité de secours et d'alimentation established
	Oct. 16	Austro-Hungarian trading with the enemy legislation: first decree issued
	"  21	First meeting of the Contraband Committee
[vi]	Nov.  2	North Sea declared a military area
	"    4	First agreement with Captain Cold (Denmark) concluded
	"    5	Italian decree for stopping contraband trade
	"    9	Allied agreement for apportioning captures and prizes between the allied navies signed
	"  23	Formation of the Netherlands Overseas Trust
	Dec.  8	Contraband agreement with Sweden concluded
	"  18	Meeting of Scandinavian monarchs at Malmö
	"  23	Italian guarantees against re-export accepted in lieu of formal agreement
	"  26	Contraband agreement with the Netherlands Overseas Trust concluded
	"  28	United States of America: Note protesting against British interference with American commerce
During the month		Allied contraband proposals accepted by Switzerland with reservations: Swiss reply treated as provisional treatment
1915	January 7	British preliminary reply to American Note of 28th December, 1914
	"   26	Petroleum and products agreement between Swiss and French governments concluded
During the month		Bulgarian Comité de prevoyance assumes control of all foodstuffs
	February 1	German conference on submarine warfare
	"     2	Agreement with Denmark concluded
	"     4	Germany announces submarine war upon commerce of Great Britain to begin on the 18th
	"   10	British reply to American Note of 28th December, 1914
		United States of America: protest against German declaration of a war zone round Great Britain
	"   11	United States of America: Memorandum on use of American flag by British vessels
	"   12	Agreement with the American Textile Alliance concluded
	"   16	Second agreement with Captain Cold (Denmark) concluded
		United States of America: Note respecting the seizure of the Wilhelmina
		German Government's reply to American protest upon declaration of a war zone
	"   19	British reply to the American Note on the Wilhelmina case
		British reply to the American memorandum on the use of neutral flags
	"   20	France agrees to the reprisals order
	"   22	United States of America: Identic Note to Great Britain and Germany suggesting a compromise in regard to submarine warfare and reprisals
During the month		War Trade Department instituted
	March   1	British and French declaration of reprisals presented to neutrals
	"    4	Foreign Office - Admiralty conference on stopping traffic through Dedeagatch
	"    8	United States of America: Observations respecting Allies' declaration of 1st March
	"   15	Dedeagatch declared a base for enemy supplies
		United States of America: Note elaborating Identic Note of 22nd February on submarine warfare and British restraints upon commerce
		British reply to American observations on the reprisals order
[vii]	"   18	Provisional agreement with the Netherlands for operating the March order in council
	"   24	Board of Trade Coal Committee report presented
		S.S. Sussex torpedoed in the Channel
	"   29	Agreement regulating export of rubber to America concluded
During the month		German conference on submarine warfare at Bellevue
	April     2	United States of America: explains American attitude to order in council of 11th March
	"   11	Agreement with the Netherlands concluded
	"   22	Norwegian oil agreement concluded
During the month		Spain issues export prohibition decree
	May     7	The Lusitania torpedoed by German submarine U.20
	"     10	German Government assure U.S. that neutral shipping is not to be attacked, but no order is issued to the fleet
	"     13	Export of coal to all foreign countries prohibited
		United States of America: protest upon the sinking of the Lusitania, Falaba and Gulflight.
	"     14	Shipping agreement with the Norwegian-America Line concluded
	"     17	Petroleum and products supplementary agreement between the Swiss and French governments concluded
	"     28	German Government's reply to American note of protest upon sinking of the Lusitania
	"     30	Italy declares blockade of Adriatic coasts
	"     31	German conference on submarine warfare at Pless
During the month		Bulgarian export prohibition decree issued
		Mediterranean becomes a theatre of submarine operations
		Portuguese export prohibition decree issued
	June     1	German Emperor orders mitigation of submarine warfare
	"       2	Blockade of Turkey declared
	"       3	Anglo-French conference on economic warfare in Paris
		Inception of the rationing system
		United States of America: requests figures of British exports of cocoa
	"       9	United States of America: despatch further note of protest on the sinking of the Lusitania
	"     17	Great Britain explains British measures and special concessions to America as regards cotton, etc.
	"     24	Committee appointed to consider how cotton exports from America can be restricted
		Agreement with Swedish cotton spinners' association concluded
	July     1	Shipping agreement with the Garonne Line concluded
		Shipping agreement with the Norway-Mexico Gulf Line concluded
		Shipping agreement with the Norwegian Africa and Australia Line concluded
	"       3	General agreement with Greece concluded
	"       7	Shipping agreement with the Bergenske S.S. Line concluded
	"       8	German Government despatch a further note on submarine war, and the sinking of the Lusitania. (See June 9)
	"     16	British reply to American request for statistics of export trade in cocoa. (See June 3)
		United States of America: Note on Prize Court proceedings
	"     17	United States of America: protest against seizure of goods on the Neches
	"     19	Agreement with the Netherlands Overseas Trust concluded
[viii]	"     21	United States of America: despatch further note on the sinking of the Lusitania
	"     22	United States of America: State Department points out unfavourable impression caused by increased British exports to border neutrals
	"     23	British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs reviews question of establishing a blockade under modern conditions
	"     26	Agreement with the Standard Oil Company concluded
	"     29	Agreement with American tin importers concluded
	"     30	British reply regarding steamship Neches. (See 17th)
	"     31	British reply to American note of 16th July: explains principles applied by Prize Courts
	August  6	Agreement with the Vacuum Oil Company concluded (Mediterranean)
		British explanation of misunderstanding in case of steamship Neches. (See July 17 and 30)
	"    13	Great Britain provides America with details of export trade; points out that American profits are proportionately equal or greater. (See July 22)
		United States of America: reply to explanation regarding steamship Neches. (See 6th and July 17 and 30)
	"    20	Cotton declared contraband
	"    23	Cotton agreement with Danish Industriaraad concluded
	"    26	German conference on submarine warfare at Pless
	"    31	Agreement with Norwegian Cotton Mills Association concluded
During the month		Allied conference on economic warfare; first rationing list drafted
	Sept.    1	Cotton agreement with the Netherlands Overseas Trust concluded
	"     10	Enquiry instituted as to better co-ordination of Allies' trading with the enemy legislation
	"     18	German submarines recalled from the west coast of Great Britain; followed by the recall of all U boats in home waters
	"     23	Cereals, oil, and wool agreement with the Netherlands Overseas Trust concluded
	"     24	Cotton agreement with Danish Industriaraad and Merchants' Guild concluded
During the month		Copra agreement with Mustad and Sons and their Swedish house concluded
		Postal parcels inspection instituted
	Oct.    4	Agreement with the Societé de Surveillance Suisse concluded
	"      5	German assurance that the sinking of the Arabic is disavowed; temporary accommodation of controversy with United States Government
	"    16	Blockade of Bulgarian coasts declared
	"    21	Shipping agreement with the Thor Thorensen Line concluded
	"    22	Agreement with the Vacuum Oil Company (Scandinavia) concluded
	"    23	Shipping agreement with the Nordenfjeldske Damskipskelskab concluded
During the month		Swedish draft agreement rejected by the British Government
		Regulations for export of coal in operation
	Nov.   5	United States of America: Note of protest as to rights of belligerents
	"    15	German submarines ordered to attack vessels making for French ports
		Shipping agreement with the Otto Thorensen Line concluded
[ix]	"    19	Agreement with the Raad and the Grosserer Societat (Denmark) concluded
During the month		Food controller appointed in Turkey
		Austria orders that passenger steamers in the Mediterranean are not to be attacked
	Dec.    6	United States of America: protest against sinking of the Ancona by an Austro-Hungarian submarine
	"     15	Austro-Hungarian Government's reply to American protest on the sinking of the Ancona
	"     17	Agreement with the Norwegian Automobile Club concluded
		Petroleum and products agreement concluded with Danish Aktieselskab and its affiliated companies in Norway and Sweden
	"     19	United States of America lodge a second protest on the sinking of the Ancona
	"     23	Trading with the Enemy (Extension of Powers) Act passed
		Agreement with the Asiatic Petroleum Company concluded
	"     24	Lubricating oil agreement with Alfred Olsen and Company concluded
	"     29	Agreement with Skandinavisk Petroleums Aktieselskap concluded
		Petroleum and products agreement with Aktieselskab Valloe Oljerfinerie concluded
	"     30	Shipping agreement with the East Asiatic Company concluded
		Austro-Hungarian Government reply to second American note of protest on the sinking of the Ancona
During the month		Agreement with American metal importers concluded
1916	January 5	Statement of measures adopted to intercept the seaborne supplies of Germany issued (Cd. 8145)
	"     26	United States of America: Note on possible effect of Trading with the Enemy (Extension of Powers) Act, 1915
	Feb.     8	German Government circulate a memorandum announcing that armed merchantmen will be treated as belligerents
	"     16	British reply to the American Note of 26th January
	"     23	Ministry of Blockade created
	"     29	First instalment of the statutory black list published
		General agreement with Danish Industriaraad and Merchants' Guild concluded
During the month		War Trade Advisory Committee supersedes the Restriction of Enemy Supplies Committee
	Feb.-Mar.	Forcible rationing: Ministry of Blockade issue two orders that govern the blockade of Germany during 1916
	March 6	German conference on submarine warfare at Pless
	"    11	Oils, fats, and seeds agreement with the Bergen, Kristiansund and Aalesund margarine manufacturers concluded
		Oils, fats, and seeds agreement with the Stavanger, Kristiansund and Hangesund margarine manufacturers concluded
		Oils, fats, and seeds agreement with the Trondjhem, Melbo and Tronso margarine manufacturers concluded
	"    12	Allied military conference at Chantilly: Permanent advisory committee on economic warfare appointed
	"    13	New orders for German submarine warfare issued
		Lubricating oils agreement with Ove. C. Ege concluded
	"    15	Negotiations opened with Denmark for the deflection of her home produce from Germany
	"    16	Letters of Assurance ("navicerting") system instituted
[x]	"    18	Lubricating oils agreement with Oljegrappen av Maskingrossisternes forening (Norway) concluded
	"  26-28	Inter-allied conference in Paris
	"    28	Comité permanent international d'action Economique established in Paris
		Oils, fats, and seeds agreement with the Christiania, Drammen Tonsberg, Fredrikshald margarine manufacturers concluded
		Restriction of Enemy Supplies Department created to negotiate deflection from Germany of neutral agricultural produce
		Enemy exports committee appointed
	April    4	Swiss Government open negotiations
	"      7	Wool agreement with Bloch and Behrens (Denmark) concluded
	"    10	German Government despatch note explaining the circumstances in which the Sussex was torpedoed
	"    13	Agreement with American meat packers concluded
	"    17	War Trade Law passed in Sweden
	"    18	United States of America: Present Note on Sussex; rupture of diplomatic relations threatened
	"    24	British reply to American Note of 5th November, 1915, on rights of belligerents
	"    28	Agreement with the International Harvester Corporation of Chicago concluded
	"    29	Supplementary agreement with the Norwegian Cotton Mills Association concluded
During the month		German Government sign convention as to treatment of Belgium
	May     3	Agreement with the Cudahy Meat Packing Company concluded
	"       4	German Government accede to demands presented in American Note on Sussex. (See April 18)
	"       8	United States of America: Despatch Note acknowledging German Government's latest Note. (See 4th)
	"     16	Agreement with Iceland concluded: all exports deflected from Germany
	"     19	Turpentine agreement with the Danish Trade Associations concluded
		Conference in London with Danish representatives on restrictions of agricultural exports to Germany
	"     30	Agreement with the Danish Coal Bureau concluded
	June    8	Phosphates and superphosphates agreement with Danish Trade Associations concluded
	"     14	Allied conference on economic war in Paris
	"     16	Agricultural produce agreement with Holland concluded
	"     21	Decision reached to detain all Dutch fishing vessels
	"     28	Agreement covering additional commodities concluded with the Netherlands Overseas Trust
During the month		German-Swiss agreement concluded
	July     3	Cotton agreement with Swedish Government concluded
	"      19	Supplementary cotton agreement with Danish Industriaraad concluded
	"      23	Food board appointed in Turkey
	"      26	Supplementary agreement with Mustad and Sons concluded
	"      28	United States of America: Note of protest at inclusion of American firms on the British black list
	August 4	Supplementary agreement with Alfred Olsen and Company concluded
[xi]	"    5	Arrangements concluded for the purchase of the Norwegian fishing catch
	"    8	Lubricants agreement with Swedish Government concluded
	"  12	Fish agreement with Holland concluded
	"  17	German meat ration fixed
	"  26	Fish agreement (second) with Holland concluded
	"  31	German Government in council reconsider submarine warfare
		Copper agreement with Norway concluded
During the month		New Bulgarian committee appointed for the supply of the people and the army
	Sept.    2	Rice agreement with the Netherlands Overseas Trust concluded
	"       8	United States of America: Retaliatory legislation signed by President Wilson
	"     18	Agreement with the Norwegian Pulp Makers' Association concluded
	"     24	Oil seed, etc., agreement with Aktieselskabet Lilleborg Fabriker and Aktieselskabet Damp Olie Mölle (Norway) concluded
	"     25	Agreement with the Norwegian Colour Merchants' Association concluded
	Oct.     2	Supplementary agreement with the Norwegian Automobile Club concluded
	"      5	Agreement with the Norwegian Soap Makers' Association concluded
		Supplementary agreement concluded with Aktieselskabet Lilleborg Fabriker and Aktieselskabet Damp Olie Mölle (Norway)
	"      6	German order to restart submarine warfare in home waters
	"    10	British reply to American Note of 28th July
	"    13	Norwegian proclamation prohibits submarines from entering Norwegian waters
	Nov.    1	Second agricultural produce agreement with Holland concluded
	"    12	Agreement with the Norwegian Tanners' Association concluded
	"  15-16	Inter-Allied conference in Paris
During the month		German-Norwegian agreement concluded
	Dec.   12	Peace overture by the Central Powers
	"     18	American invitation to a general negotiation for peace
	"     23	Coal exports to Norway stopped
1917	January  7	German Government decide to begin unrestricted submarine warfare on 1st February
	"       8	German conference on submarine warfare at Pless
	"      16	Agreement with Norwegian Canners' Association concluded
	"      23	Agreement with Switzerland concluded
	February 1	German unrestricted submarine warfare begins
	"     2	Draft agreement with Sweden agreed, but not ratified by Swedish Riksdag
	"     3	U.S. Government sever diplomatic relations with Germany
	"   16	"Ship-for-ship " policy adopted
	"   17	Embargo on coal for Norway raised
	April     6	United States of America declare war on Germany
	"     24	British mission to America
During the month		American War Trade Committee appointed
		Bulgarian Supplies Committee replaced by a Military Commission
[xii]	May
During the month		German Committee on constitutional reform appointed
		Scandinavian conference on economic aid
		American Export Control Committee appointed
	June  16	American Export Prohibition Act passed: Exports council appointed
During the month		British "Northern Neutrals Committee" appointed
	July     9	First American export proclamation issued: Embargo proclaimed
	"      17	Peace resolution adopted in the Reichstag
	August
During the month		American War Trade Board appointed
	Sept. 11	German Crown Council discuss the restoration of Belgium
During the month		Lord Reading's mission to America
	Dec. 5	Agreement with Switzerland concluded
1918	January  1	Great strike in Germany and German Austria begins
	March 12	Strike in Austria renewed
	"    20	First meeting of the Allied Blockade Committee in London
During the month		All Dutch shipping in British and American harbours requisitioned
	April    30	Final agreement with Norway concluded
	May    29	Final agreement with Sweden concluded
	August 13	German Crown Council at Spa
	Sept.  16	Austria sues for peace
	"     18	Final agreement with Denmark concluded
	"     30	Armistice with Bulgaria concluded
	Oct.    30	Armistice with Turkey concluded
	Nov.    9	Revolution in Germany
	"     11	Armistice with Germany signed: Blockade to continue
	"     25	General consolidating agreement with the Netherlands concluded
	"     30	Neutral parcels post censorship ceases
During the month		German rations raised
	December
During the month		Rations of all northern neutrals raised
1919	February  8	Supreme Economic Council appointed
During the month		Northern neutrals' rations raised to normal
	May    26	Blockade in the Mediterranean raised
1921	August 31	Termination of the war: All agreements, trade restraints, etc., cease

[xiii]
Table of Statistics

Table
I.	Netherlands trade in certain commodities declared contraband in 1914
II.	General direction of Danish trade, by values
III.	General review of Swedish imports and exports
IV.	General review of Swedish imports and exports of cereals and forage
V.	General review of Swedish imports and exports of propellants, oils and metals
VI.	Principal directions of Norwegian imports and exports
VII.	Norwegian imports and exports of the principal minerals and propellants
VIII.	Principal markets for Italian food exports
IX.	Principal sources of cereals and meats imported into Italy
X.	Principal sources of the metals, combustibles, and propellants imported into Italy
XI.	Principal sources of cotton, timber, and rubber imported into Italy
XII.	General directions of Italian imports and exports
XIII.	Swiss imports and exports of cereals and foodstuffs
XIV.	Swiss imports and exports of textiles
XV.	Swiss imports and exports of propellants and combustibles
XVI.	Swiss imports and exports of the principal metals
XVII.	The general directions of Swiss trade
XVIII.	United States of America: Exports of breadstuffs in 1913 and 1914
XIX.	Principal contraband imports of northern neutrals during the three months subsequent to the December agreements
XX.	Normal German exports to border neutrals, 1913
XXI.	Illustrating British exports and re-exports during the first and second quarters of 1915
XXII.	British exports of certain commodities during the first and second quarters of 1915
XXIII.	Commodities on the first rationing list
XXIV.	Illustrating British exports during the third quarter of 1915
XXV.	Principal trade of the Dutch East Indies in 1913
XXVI.	Imports into Denmark from the United States of America
XXVII.	List of articles rationed by agreement with Denmark
XXVIII.	Cotton: Stock in Denmark and estimated requirements for 1915
XXIX.	Swiss imports of coal, silk, cotton, and wool
XXX.	Tabular digest of the rationing system
XXXI.	Principal trade of Austria-Hungary in 1913
XXXII.	Details of principal imports and exports of Austria-Hungary in 1913
XXXIII.	Trade of Austria-Hungary in 1913 with certain countries
XXXIV.	Details of principal imports and exports of Turkey in 1910
XXXV.	Entries and exits of Turkish trade before the second Balkan war
XXXVI.	Details of Turkey's principal trade with the Balkan States in 1910
XXXVII.	Principal trade of Turkey in 1910
XXXVIII.	Principal directions of Spanish trade
XXXIX.	List of prohibited articles included in the Spanish decree
XL.	Exports from Spain to Italy and Switzerland in 1914
XLI.	Bulgarian list of prohibited exports
XLII.	List of cargoes to the Balkan States detained during June and July, 1915
XLIII.	British re-exports to Greece
XLIV.	Details of principal imports and exports of Greece in 1914
XLV.	Principal trade of Greece in 1914
[xiv] XLVI.	General agreements for operating the March Order in Council
XLVII.	British exports and re-exports to border neutrals during the third and fourth quarters of 1915
XLVIII.	German exports during 1913, 1914 and 1915
XLIX.	Food prices in Berlin at end of 1915
L.	Food prices in Vienna and Buda Pesth, 1915
LI.	Cotton prices in Germany and Austria, 1915
LII.	Exports of the United States of America to Europe, 1913 and 1915
LIII.	Cocoa: Exports to border neutrals, 1913, 1914 and 1915
LIV.	Monthly average of exports of Danish agricultural produce during 1915 and 1916
LV.	Readjustment of the Netherlands export trade
LVI.	Imports from the Netherlands of bacon, butter and cheese in July, August and September, 1916
LVII.	Exports of coffee from Brazil, nitrates from Chile, wool from the Argentine and Uruguay, and of coffee from the Dutch East Indies
LVIII.	Danish imports under the rationing system
LIX.	Illustrating the decline of commercial tonnage in the North Atlantic
LX.	Sympathies of the American Press and attitude to the president
LXI.	Germany: Fixed prices for meats, November-December, 1915
LXII.	Germany: Fixed prices for forages, November-December, 1915
LXIII.	Germany: Food prices in 1914, 1915 and 1916
LXIV.	Germany: Food riots in 1916
LXV.	Serbia: Consumption of crops
LXVI.	Turkey: Decline in agricultural produce in 1916
LXVII.	Turkey: Food prices at the end of 1916
LXVIII.	Shipping losses in the Mediterranean, October, 1915-January, 1916
LXIX.	Number of vessels arriving in border states during February, March and April, 1915 and 1917
LXX.	United States of America: Tonnage movements, February, March and April, 1915 and 1917
LXXI.	Effect of agreements with Norway, Sweden, and Denmark
LXXII.	Illustrating the operation of the American embargo
LXXIII.	German consumption of meats and fats in war and peace
LXXIV.	Germany: Number of deaths attributable to the blockade
LXXV.	Germany: Number of deaths calculated as due to shortage of fats
LXXVI.	Germany: Deaths from tuberculosis, 1914-1918
LXXVII.	Germany: Deaths from other lung complaints, 1914-1917
LXXVIII.	Germany: Increase in cases of puerperal fever, etc., 1914-1917
LXXIX.	Germany: Failure of 1918 harvest: figures compared with the average yield
LXXX.	Austro-Hungarian corn production, 1914-1918
LXXXI.	Bulgarian production of cheese, 1916 and 1917
LXXXII.	Bulgarian production of cereals, 1912, 1915-1918
LXXXIII.	Bulgarian exports of cereals, etc., 1916-1918
LXXXIV.	Norway: Post-armistice rations compared with those under last agreement

[xv]
Table of Equivalent Weights and Measures

Weights and Measures:
1000	Kilos	= .984 ton
1,016	Kilos	= 1 ton
1	Cental	= 45.36 kilos = 99¼ lbs.
1	Meterzentner, or metric       cental, or quintal	= 100 kilos = 220 lbs.
1	Litre	= .88 quart
1	Hectare	= 2.47 acres

Money (1914):			s.   d.
	Argentine	1 Peso	= 3 11½
	Austria-Hungary	1 Krone	= 0 10
	Brazil	1 Milrei	= 2   3
	Bulgaria	1 Lev	= 0   9½
	Chile	1 Peso	= 1   6
	China	1 Tael	= 2   6 to 3s. 4d.
	Denmark	1 Krone	= 1   1½
	France	1 Franc	= 0   9½
	Germany	1 Mark	= 0 11½ abt.
	Italy	1 Lira	= 0   9½
	Japan	1 Yen	= 2   0½
	Mexico	1 Dollar	= 2   0½
	Netherlands	1 Florin or gulden	= 1   7½
	Norway	1 Krone	= 1   1½
	Paraguay	1 Peso	= 2   0
	Russia	1 Rouble	= 2   0¼
	Spain	1 Peseta	= 0   9½
	Sweden	1 Krona	= 1   1½
	Switzerland	1 Franc	= 0   9½
	Turkey	1 Piastre	= 0   2¼ abt.
	U.S.A.	1 Dollar	= 4   1
	Uruguay	1 Peso	= 4   2 abt.

[xvi]
Contents

[Scriptorium notes: at this point in the original, print edition of this book, page xvi contains the Table of Contents, which we have reproduced here instead.]

A History of the Blockade of Germany
and of the countries associated with her in the Great War:
Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey.
by A. C. Bell (Historical Section, Committee of Imperial Defence).