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Show BLOCKADE WILL GO ON A3 BEFORE Parliament Will Not Change Existing Conditions Mails to Be Examined. London, Jan. 26, 7:56 p. m. Here-aftor Here-aftor French warships will assist British vossels in blockade duties in both the English channel and tho North sea, participating in the examination ex-amination of malls and cargoes. In future Franco will be consulted consult-ed on all questions concerning the blockade. Joint Anglo-French replies will be made to any protests on the subject. London, Jan. 26, 11:25 p. m. The result of the anxiouBly awaited debate de-bate in the house of commons on the blockade question Is that the British government adheres to its existing policy. A resolution introduced liv Arthur Shirley Bonn, Unionist member for Plymouth, that the entire over-oceanic traffic with' Germany should bo prevented pre-vented by a blockade, was talked out and the subject dropped, thus leaving the position exactly as beforo tho debate, de-bate, except that parliament seemed more converted to the government policy. Interesting figures published by tho war department partly demolished the elaborate structure raised by the newspapers, and Sir Edward Grey's effective speech appeared to finish the work thus begun. House With Grey. After the foreign secretary had spoken, Commander Bellairs said he had expected that nine-tenths of the house would be against Sir Edward Grey, but since his speech, ho had had to admit that nine-tenths were wit h him. In fact, after te foreign secretary sat down the house gradually gradual-ly emptied and at ono time during the debate only half a dozen members were present. At the opening of the debate, the bouse was crowded, notable visitors being the American embassador, the Swedish and Danish ministers, Lord Fisher and Lord Stamfordham, privato secretary to the king Opinions Expressed. Gershom Stewart, Unionist, thought it would be advantageous to allow France to conduct negotiations with America respecting the blockade. William Wil-liam A. Hewins, Unionist, thought Sir Edward Grey had failed to make as good a case as he might hae done and contended that Great Britain had not yet touched the German economic machine. He wanted to see Germany wrecked on the economic as well as the military side. Lord Robert Cecil, parliamentary under secretary for foreign affairs, assured the house on the authority of Lord Farrington that there was no word of truth In the charge brought against British representatives In neutral countries. He regarded with suspicion those In neutral countries wuo were urging uio aines to declare de-clare a blockade. "We are trying to do. with some success," he said, "something that no nation ever tried before, namely, to blockade Germany through neutral countries. It would be easy to make mistakes which might be so serious as to prevent our winning the war." |