Page 99
Page 99
Page 99
14
APPENDIX V.
The arrangements made will be included in the military Defence Scheme, where such a document exists.
5. These detailed arrangements should extend to meeting such emergencies as are referred to in paragraph 31, and in making them care must be taken that there is no risk of escaping vessels being sunk in positions where they would block the fairway. To ensure this it will be necessary to define the water area in which it is not advisable for the guns of the fixed defences to engage the ship.
Procedure when War is regarded as imminent.
6. Upon the receipt of a notification that strained relations exist with another nation so that war is regarded as imminent, the Detaining Officer should make every preparation to enforce these regulations immediately upon the commencement of hostilities, and for this purpose should at once communicate with the authorities with whom he is to act in concert, so that the arrangements previously agreed on may be put in force as soon as the necessity arises.
7. The Detaining Officer will understand that no act of hostility may be committed without a previous declaration of war, but immediately after the receipt of the notification he should make himself acquainted with the movements of all vessels flying the flag of the nation with whom relations are strained, and should take particular care to note whether articles of contraband of war are being loaded in any vessel which there is reason to suppose is intended for the use of that nation. Should any such vessel leave the port during the period of strained relations a note should be made of her destination, and the fact of her departure should be at once notified to the Local Government for transmission to the Naval Commander-in-Chief, and, if necessary, to heS cretary of the Admiralty, Whitehall, S. W.
Procedure on the Outbreak of War.
8. Detaining Officers will be notified of the outbreak of war by the Local Government.
9. On the outbreak of war an Order in Council will probably be issued simul- taneously by His Majesty's Government and by the Dominion Government, and in that case a copy will be forwarded to each Detaining Officer at the earliest possible
moment.
A model of such an Order in Council is attached to these instructions (see Appendix I to the Memorandum and the note at the end of these instructions) in order to afford an indication of the probable policy. It must be clearly understood, however, that this policy may be varied to suit the circumstances of the moment.
10. In order that the objects of this policy may not be defeated owing to the departure during the earliest stages of the war of any of the vessels specified below, the following action is to be taken (in anticipation of the arrival of the Order in Council) immediately on the receipt of trustworthy information that war has broken
out-
(a.) All enemy merchant-vessels (except those exempt from detention as provided
in Article 47) are to be prevented from leaving the port.
(b) All British or neutral merchant-vessels loaded with contraband of war, which there is reason to suppose is intended for the use of the enemy, are to be prevented from leaving the port. Subject, however, to the receipt of any such instructions from the Local Government as are mentioned in para- graph 13, and to the discharge of goods which may be requisitioned as mentioned in paragraph 37, these vessels may be permitted to leave the port after unloading all articles which are contraband of war. Provided that in no case shall British vessels be allowed to clear for an enemy port.
It is vitally important that the action laid down in this paragraph should be taken unmediately on the outbreak of war, in order that no vessels of these descriptions may have time to escape.
• The particular officer to whom this information is to be sent should be mentioned here.
MAAL
Page 99
Page 99
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.