The figures published by the German Steel and Iron Manufacturers Association for the first six months of each respective year show the following outputs, thanks to Sir Francis Oppenheimer's previous Netherlands Overseas Trust, which permits iron ore in millions of tons to proceed direct to Krupps' and other blast furnaces in Germany without let or hindrance to be used against us.
Pig Iron
| Tons | |
| 1915 | 5,530,000 |
| 1916 | 6,497,000 |
Steel
| 1915 | 6,187,000 |
| 1916 | 7,756,000 |
The Lokal Anzeiger, July 28th, 1916, remarked: "These figures constitute a most gratifying state of affairs in respect of the requirements of the German Armies." No wonder the captured German officer remarked: "You English will always be fools, whilst we Germans can never be gentlemen"!
In August[25] a Mr. E. Bell, of 12, Yarborough Road, Lincoln, wrote to the Press as follows:
"The talk of tightening the blockade of Germany is rather futile in face of the following Board of Trade figures referring to cotton yarn exported from the United Kingdom to the following neutral countries:
| June | Sweden | Norway | Denmark | Holland | Switzerland |
| 1914 | 108,900 | 218,700 | 106,400 | 3,220,800 | 722,600 |
| 1915 | 260,800 | 348,300 | 204,700 | 4,493,300 | 1,788,800 |
| 1916 | 279,200 | 508,200 | 598,400 | 7,539,800 | 1,304,100 |