THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 21, 1940
Plea
Mr. Chamberlain Gives Plain
Answer To Norwegian ARGUMENT H-M-G. COULD IN NO CIRCUMSTANCES ACCEPT
loud
London, To-day. "THIS ADMIRABLY conducted operation"
cheers greeted this description in the House of Commons yesterday by the Prime Minister of the rescue of the British prisoners from the Alt- mark when he reviewed the circumstances which led up to the escape of 299 British seamen from the German ship.
These prisoners, Mr. Chamberlain said, were closely confined in the German naval supply ship for more than three months.
"His Majesty's Government at present is awaiting full re- ports from the naval officers concerned of the very gal- lant affair but I am sure the House will join the Govern-
DUTCH DEFENCE PLANS
realst
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
Amsterdam, To-day. "The Netherlands will any force crossing her border and will fight every inch of ground," said Gen. van Voorst, Comman der-in-Chief of the Dutch Army, to the press.
He added: "We have five posl
we tions fully prepared which,
All roads. bellove, we can hold.
will be bridges railways and
'The blown up if necessary. Netherlands will remain free and Independent."-Havas.
ment in the satisfaction they feel at the release of the BRITISH
officers and crews of vessels sunk by the Graf Spee (cheers) after their long ordeal, and that members will
desire also to congratulate the Royal Navy most heart- NAVY NEAR
ly upon this notable addition to its annals.
and if they had not
Referring to the statement made in, His Majesty's ships take action against the Norwegian Parliament by M. the Altmark, Koht, Foreign Minister, Mr. Chamber- | done so, she would have been allow- lain said that apart from the original Norwegian protest given to Lord Hall- fax, the Government had received no official communication from Norway; | he wished, however, to make comments on M. Koht's statement.
ed to complete her voyage to Ger- many without let or hindrance and without any enquiry into the cir- cumstances.
Mr. Chamberlain noted some
The first was that it was now re- never vealed that the Altmark had called at Bergen and that she first stopped by a Norwegian torpedo boat which examined her papers.
EVEN MORE - DIFFICULT.
was
PETSAMO
Parle, To-day. According to Rome despatch, the Italian press reports the presence of Petsamo, near British cruisers near which German ships enter the long that M. passage of Norwegian waters.
Germany that is stated It Hambro (president of the Norwegian
to consider Parliament) had said that the Nor-forced the Allies weglan authorities did not know that waters in a special light.
"Avvenire," com- The newspaper British prisoners were on board the
menting on the report, asks what are British Ad. Altmark...
the Intentions of the miralty. Reuter.
Cham-
SURPRISING STATEMENT
Considering the fact that weeks ago She was stopped by a second tor- the Press of the world had given pro- pedo-boat when the naval commanderminent mention of this, Mr. at Bergen was not satisfied, and re- fused to submit to a further examina- tion, in which, according to M. Koht, the Altmark commander was "acting within his rights."
more
Mr. Chamberlain said that all this made Norway's inaction even difficult to understand. Britain had the been under the impression that Norwegian authorities had conducted Britain's some sort of examination; complaint was that it had been per- functory in that it did not reveal the presence of the British prisoners.
Mr. Chamberlain outlined the Nor- wegian Foreign Minister's statement, and said it appeared in the Nor- wegian view that as the Altmark was regarded as a warship and carried the German state flag, no request to
search could be made.
WRE
berlain said that he could not "but regard this as a most surprising state- ment."
has these
NORWEGIAN REPLY TO PREMIER
He found it difficult to realst the conclusion that the Norwegian au- thorities had displayed complete of Indifference to the use made their territorial waters by the Ger-
not Even if this were due to MADE. German pressure, it was, never- theless, in the view of the British Government Inconsistent with the duties of neutrals towards belll. gerents.
ARGUMENT UNACCEPTABLE
Koht's
With regard to M.
state-
Oslo, To-day.
NOT TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
London, To-day.
The "Daily Mall," commenting on the Altmark case, states:-"Britain is not turning the other cheek to Ger- man violations of international law.
"In deliberately infringing upon Norwegian territorial waters, Britain is righting the flagrant wrong being and world committed by Germany,
condones her opinion unanimously action.
"At first, Britain stood rigidly by the letter of the law and thereby gave great advantages to the enemy. The Alimark affair is a warning that she is no longer fighting with her hands
Havas. tied behind her back."
NAZIS ON PREMIER'S STATEMENT
Berlin, To-day.
"Mr. Chamberlain's statement in the House of Commons proves that the main purpose of the brutal attack on the Altmark was a political one,' says the official German news agency.
"After committing a wanton viola- tion of Norway's neutrality, Britain is striving to manoeuvre that country away from her policy of neutrality.
"Mr. Chamberlain's reprimand of the Norwegian navy proves beyond doubt that England is now openly demanding assistance from neutrals, that without this since she realises aid she is bound to lose the war."- Reuter.
FUTURE OF
ALTMARK
Berlin, To-day.
Captain Dau, of the Altmark, speak-
ing on the German
has
any
"The Norwegian Government yielded to pressure from side," declared the Foreign Minister, M. Koht, commenting on Mr. Neville Chamberlain's speech.
M. Koht added that in this case, as in all others, the Norwegian Govern- ment has striven only to comply with international law.
M. Koht maintained that the Alt- mark must be regarded as a warship and therefore had a right to refuse to be searched-Reuter,
CAPTAIN
said the Altmark at ing with her stern rudder is broken damaged.
the
official wireless,
precent is rest-
on shore; the and one propeller
the
"We shall try to free the ship and then consider what to do," he declar- ed.
Describing
boarding of Altmark, Captain Dau said: "I man- oeuvred the Altmark in such a way that she had to run on the rocks in order to make it impossible for the English to catch her and go away with
her."
He admitted there were a few pls- tols on board but asserted they were Reuter, never used.
ment that there was nothing in in- ternational law to prevent the pas- The chief naval officer at Borgan sage of prisoners through neutral ter- itself passage and the ritory providing the not quite satisfied
was legal, Mr. Chamberlain said that Altmark later was stopped but re-
according to this ruling the Norwegian fused to submit to Inspection. Even though the Altmark had used authorities had no objections to the her wireless In Norwegian territorial use of Norway's waters for hundreds waters, violating the Norwegian, re- of miles by German ships in order to gulations, this did not lead the Nor-escape capture and to take British wegian authorities to take any action prisoners to prison camps.
at variance Such a doctrine was beyond complaining and accepting an
Commenting on the German wire- with International law as the British apology.
Mr. Chamberlain recalled that a Government understood it. It would, less admission that the captain of the joint Norwegian and British guard in the British Government's view, be Altmark tried to ram the destroyer was proposed, so that a proper in- liable to abuse by German, ships and Cossack, an authoritative statement re- vestigation might be made at Bergen.lead to a position His Majesty's Gov-calls the execution of Capt. Fryatt ernment could in no circumstances during the last war by the Germans (Cheers).
on a charge of having rammed a Ger- man submarine.
WAS LUCKY? DANGEROUS
London, To-day ATTITUDE
to
י
This offer, he said, was refused. accept. The Norwegian officer declined accompany the British boarding party on board the Altmark.
"It will be seen therefore that not -on one occasion but on three or four, the Norwegian authorities failed to carry out a proper investigation of the matter:
On behalf of the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Alexander ex- pressed the Opposition's pleasure at the nature and detalla of Mr. Chamberlain's statement.
The comment adds that by German canons the captain of the Altmark was lucky to have escaped a similar fate. Reuter,.-
Mr. Neville
Amsterdam, To-day.
Chamberlain's speech on the Altmark is approved, in the main, by Dutch political circles...
The reasons for the action taken by the British warship are fully appre- clated, though what is held to be a violation of Norway's rights cannot, it is felt, be condoned.
The "Inaction" of Norway, how- Labour wished to be completely as- Capt. Fryatt, was the master of a ever, is considered a dangerous atti- sociated with the expression of satis- cross Channel steamer running to Bel-tude for any country intent on pur- faction at the Royal Navy's action glum. He was taken off the steamer suing a course of strict neutrality..
by the Germans and shot.
""Not until after these refusals did | Reuter.
Reuter.