THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 22, 1939
BRITAIN'S DECISION TO TAKE REPRISALS: PUBLIC OPINION DEMANDED ACTION
London, To-day.
NAZI "LAW” of the intention of the British Government to FOR POLAND
THE PRIME MINISTER'S Commons announcement
seize exports of German origin or ownership on the high seas as a measure of reprisal for Ger man violations of internationally recognised rules of sea warfare has met by anticipation the demand for action which an indignant public opinion was already beginning to formulate. In view of the precedent of the last war, in which similar German methods drove the Allies to simi- lar retaliation, opinion towards an intensifica- tion of the economic war against Germany as the most suitable form of reprisal.
So far, in the present war, * Ger-
man exports in neutral vessels have
Krakow, To-day. Special courts are to be set up in German-occupied Poland; says D.N.B.,
the official Nazi "news" agency.
These courts will enforce the Ger- man criminal code; the usual legal
of courts all over the world, are dispensed with in these courts.
safeguards for the prisoner, a feature
Reuter.
AN ANNIVERSARY
London, To-day. Yesterday was the anniversary of the surrender of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow.--Reuter.
not been subject to interference, and INDISCRIMINATE SINKINGS the German Government has
made
great efforts to maintain its exports overseas so as to obtain foreign ex- change with which to pay for essen- tial war imports from those sources, access to which is not already cut off by the British contraband con- trol.
The further measure of economic pressure which is now to be applied to Germany has, therefore, very con- siderable significance.
GERMANY'S POSITION By depriving the German Gov- ernment of the only means whereby
she could have hoped to continue to earn a small but relatively important amount of foreign exchange, it will place her under the necessity of fur- nishing to those countries from whom she is still able to import without the interference of the Allied contraband control those kinds of goods which ney themselves require or are pre pared to accept.
The appropriateness of this form
of retaliation for the. Nazi abandon- ment of any regard for law or human- ity in their methods of warfare at sea appears when it is appreciated that the essential purpose Nazi move was
further their "blockade" of Britain by intimidat- ing neutral shipping.
.to
BRITAIN DECIDES ON MEASURES OF
RETALIATION
London, To-day.
BALLOON BARRAGE MISHAP
London, To-day.
The Air Ministry announces that a British civil aircraft yes- terday inadvertently flow into one of the balloon barrages and was brought down.
Both occupants of the plane were killed.--Reuter.
*
BLOCKADE OF FLOATING DYNAMITE
+
NEW YORK, TO-DAY. "THE SINKING OF SHIPS IS ECONOMIC WARFARE AT ITS MOST VIOLENT, AND WHEN THE WEAPON IS AN UNANCHORED MINE IT IS RUTHLESSNESS IN ITS MOST INDISCRIMINATE FORM," SAYS THE "NEW
TIMES."
YORK
"It is just possible," the journal continues, "that the mines were torn loose by a gale, but since the Ger- mans announced a week ago that they would fight the British blockade
by any and all means, it is more likely that they planted a blockade of float- ing dynamite..in the commercial lanes with the object of discouraging LOUD CHEERS GREETED the Prime Minister's an-neutral shipping from carrying car- goes to Britain and forcing them to nouncement in the House of Commons yesterday trade with Germany. that in retaliation for the German mine warfare Britain (as in the Great War in retaliation for unrestricted submarine warfare), will make ex- ports of German origin subject to seizure on the high seas.
Mr.
Neville Chamberlain made this announcement in reply to a question by Mr. C. R. Attlee, Lead- er of the Labour Opposition.
of the Mr. Chamberlain said the House was aware that in
the
GERMAN WARNINGS This indiscriminate sowing of Ger- man mines was heralded by repeated warnings to neutral shipping
from Nazi
sources of the danger of ap- proaching the British coast.
British, mines are not laid in
of or neighbourhood
near the
ap- proaches to any commercial port ex- cept in publicly announced minefields. Furthermore, British mines are au- they tomatically made innocuous if break their moorings.
Interesting confirmation of this comes from Belgium, where Ger- mån mines washed on the coast have exploded, causing extensive damage.
A British mine washed ashore did not explode,
L
DELIBERATE. AIM
Mines which
German submarines have been laying in shipping chan- nels are obviously put there not with the intention of sinking British ships but for the express purpose of sink- ing neutral ships.
"It is noteworthy that in the first strike the victims were neutrals, on whom Germany is most dependent for supplies."--Reuter.
NAZI THREAT
Berlin, To-day. Germany' may intensify her naval warfare, Captain Mohr of the `news- paper "Lokalanzeiger" said in an article yesterday.
L
"Neutral Interests cannot stand in "Ger- many is guided only by military con-
the last three days upwards of 10 ships, six of the Reich's way," he went on. which were neutrals, weṛe sunk with very seri-siderations in the war with Britain. -ous loss of life, by German mine
The Hague Convention, to which Germany is a party and which on September 17 she announced her in- tention of observing, provided
that
when anchored mines are used, every possible precaution must be taken for the security of peaceful navigation.
"This," said Mr. Chamberlain, "is the very essence of "the Con- . vention, since a mine cannot dia- criminate between a warship and a merchantman, between a belli.. gerent and a neutral,"
1
FRESH OUTRAGE
The Prime Minister outlined other provisions of the Convention as far as mines were concerned, and declar- ed that none of these provisions had been observed by Germany in laying the mines which had occasioned the losses he had mentioned.
"This fresh outrage is the cul- mination of a series of violations of agreements to which Germany has met her hand.
Such methods of warfare, as the
"We need only recall the sinking Prime Minister made clear yesterday of the Athenia, with the loss of 112 afternoon in the Commons, the British lives, and the subsequent destruction Government could not allow to con- of British, Allied and neutral vessels tinue without taking reprisals.-Bri- | by mine, torpedo and gunfire. tish. Wireless."
AUSTRALIAN
often
WITHOUT WARNING "These attacks were made without warning and to an increasing extent with complete disregard of the | rules, laid down in the Submarinë
WAR POST Protocol to which Germany subscrib-
Bydney; To-day.
ed, or to the most elementary dic- tates of humanity.
Sir Ernest Fiske, the Australian "The Government are not prepared scientist and authority on radio, has to allow these methods of conducting been appointed to the Australian warfare without retallation." Economic Council for a year, attach remind the House that in the last ed to the Ministry of Co-Ordination war, as a measure of justified repris- of Defence.
al for submarine attacks on merchant- Sir Ernest successfully advocated" men," "exports of Clerman origin, the use of beam wireless for Em-ownership” “ware -made”
· pire "inter-communications, Reuter. - Iseizure on the higi
5fect
RUTHLESS METHODS "The many
"Third parties cannot be consider- ed.
"German warfare will be intensifled tional law and the ruthless and bru-international law warrants."--Beuter. violations of interna-to the extent that British violation of
tal German methods have decided, us
to follow a similar course now, and an Order in Council will shortly be issued giving effect to this decision."
The Premier's announcement was greeted with loud cheers.--Reuter.
5,
WEE case
Major C. M. Manners, of No. Humphrey's Building, has reported that during thẻ night his fat entered and a silver cigarette and some money stolen.
COLLAPSE OF PLAN FOR UNITED FRONT IN THE BALKANS
(SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL?
15. London: To-day,
THE IDEA OF CREATION of a Balkan neutral bloc has apparently been abangöited by the govern- ments which tried to have tha scheme during the past three
for such
Reason for the suspension of nedonations is attri-
buted firstly to Italy's indrecties such a bloc, which evoked a prot Turkey and Greece, and
Secondly, possibly also to some, the Balkón ¿S pressure, by Germany and the Soviet.
Though an and Dranch hiv a not opposed Italy's participation In the Balkaní bloc, at long af kItalian Tnquence was not detrimentet varlota States, independenc
dAthens did, not bel
of such a
ation in
from
inclined to
view
south-
pdo not
iticians, deent Dossible' heated would