A few more facts. Though the matter was
constantly referred to, yet we had been at war for
five months before the Government could be prevailed
upon to prohibit the exportation of cocoa;
with what result? In December, January, and February
last our exports of cocoa to neutral countries
were 16,575,017 lbs., whilst for the corresponding
period for 1913 the exports were but 3,584,003 lbs.!
Before the war, Holland was an exporter of cocoa
to this country; since the war she has been the
principal importer; and there is a mass of indisputable
evidence to show that nearly the whole
of our exports of cocoa have found their way to
Germany through this channel.
The prohibition is now removed, so we may
expect that the old game of supplying the German
Army with cocoa from England will begin again!
The German Army must also have tea. Let us
see how we have supplied it. During the first
fortnight of war, export was restricted and only
60,666 lbs. were sent out of the country, whereas
for the corresponding period of the previous year
179,143 lbs. were exported. During the next three
months the restrictions were removed, when no less
a quantity than 15,808,628 lbs. was sent away—the
greater part of it by roundabout channels
to Germany—against 1,146,237 lbs. for the corre-