| Show ITALIAN FIRMS AIDED GERMANY silk cotton and rubber shipped to enemy through switzerland LLOYD GEORGE IS BLAMED r contraband nd trade declared to have been fostered by british tariff warnings go unheeded by italian government rome the scandal resulting from the exposure of the part played by the milanese silk company in supplying great quantities of silk waste to Gerro germany any Is spreading the government Is now in possession of indisputable evidence that not only silk waste but large quantities of cotton and rubber have found their way into germany from italy since the war forming a material aid to the enemy in the manufacture of of war materials signor signer giretti GIr ettl the radical deputy has published an article in which lie he points out that not only italy but all the allies have been remiss in controlling exports to neutral countries ile he urged the italian government in july 1915 to prevent the export of silk bilk to germany but it was not prohibited until august 1916 while the prohibition of silk exports to switzerland did not come into operation until october 1910 As to the contraband trade in silk signor giretta blames lloyd george for having through backof lack ot actual information on the question imposed restrictions on the import of italian silk into england thus providing the italian german ophilus with a splendid anti british argument it Is now certain that besides silk waste enormous consignments consign ments of cotton have been supplied to germany from italy where trading with the enemy was organized on such a vast scale that it Is inconceivable how so much time passed before it was detected and repressed controlled by germans judging from the number of silk and cotton m merchants er chants arrested in north italy it Is evident that both the silk and cotton industries were practically under german control and that the greater part of the output of the principal firms mas as sent to germany and utilized in war industries there before the war about three hundred tons of silk waste were exported from italy to switzerland every year in italian silk exports to switzerland increased to about nine hundred to tons and in the following year to tons although the italian sit silk k was exported to a neutral country still its ultimate destination was germany where it was needed in the manufacture of charges for artillery airplane wings and airship envelopes the trade continued until a few weeks ago during the first 12 days of february tons of raw silk cotton and flax were sent to germany via switzerland it has been said that the silk waste spinning companies were enabled to trade with the enemy because nobody suspected that silk waste could be utilized by the germans in war industries and in fact silk waste was exported to germany not only from italy but from france as well warnings unheeded strangely enough there were intelligent people who warned the government and strived to open the eyes of the under secretary of state of the ministry of finance signor signer Bas ballint lint who presided over the special committee that authorized that silk waste was being used in germany for war industries signor who warned signor signer basil lit in april 1916 was told that it would be useless to forbid the exportation of silk waste as in any case if the germans were deprived of it they would dla din cover something else to replace it IL signor signer basliel in an interview later inter disclaimed nil all responsibility but admitted that he was related by marriage to the chairman of the board ot of directors of th the 0 silk waste spinning company compan y which traded most extensively with germany signor signer bonacasta Bona cassa a member of parliament paras li if w was as a prominent shareholder end and member of the board of directors of the silk waste spinning complin company the silk waste spinning company was one of the most flourishing concerns in italy and practically 1 lazed the silk waste industry there Is every reason to believe that contraband w with ith germany could not well ell organized if it had bad have been so w not been a labor of love or at least of gratitude for previous financial assistance given by germany yearly nearly every german industrial concern in italy itil ly had an italian name and ofte u an italian partner when war broke out italo german industrial concerns were transformed into apparent apparently aly essentially italian firms |
