CAPTURE AT SEA

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2229, 15 August 1914, Page 7

CAPTURE AT SEA

RIGHTS OP NEUTRALS PERILS OF PEACEFUL COMMERCE The subject of the capture at sea o£ merchant vessels during the progress of a naval war is interestingly discussed by an Australian writer, who points, out that the dangers run.by all. trading, steamers, whether belonging to a neutral 'or a belligerent, are great. At the present juncture ships bound for British ports are, cif course, more or less in danger, and the- ■ danger- will\ continue until the British Fleet has established absolute command of the sea. So far as British ships aro concerned, the position is absolutely clear. They will stand in danger of confiscation or capture until the navul power of the enemy has been decisively crushed. Contraband of War. With neutral, trading steamers, however, the case w slightly different, and the question of a belligerent's right to capturo or destroy vessels steaming under a neutral flag has been for many years a vexed ono. In 1911 the British Houso of Lords threw out the Declaration of London, which was a revised code of law 'for naval warfare drawn up for the use of the International Prize Court at The Hague in 19091 Many clauses in the declaration dealt;with the rights of belligerents to deal-with neutral vessels, but so far tho declaration has not been, ratified, ,nnd the dangers to neutral ships are very considerable. Neutral vesseß carrying absolute contraband destined for an enemy are liable to' capture at sea anywhere outside neutral waters. "Absolute contraband" consists of articles exclusively used for war. "Conditional contra 7 band" comprises articles for use in war as well as for the purposes of peace, such as foodstuffs, and is liable to capture when destined for. the armed forces of an enemy, and when' the ship herself .is bound for the enemy.- r - Blockade Operations. But all vessels are liable to capture when attempting to enter. a blockaded port, or wlien entering an area covered by l>.oCKad6''operations. 'j.iie significance of the latter point-will be noted when .the ivord "blockade" is , understood. Now that submarines of wide radius of action, and torpedo' craft are employed treuly in naval warfare, blockade is no longer ivhat it was in olden times, and Urgat Britain, when blockading - (iernian ports, would probably have . hor Beet somewhere elf Itosyih, Scotland, in the north, and oil' the Dogger Bank, or even further south, at tho other extremity of the North Seiu Thus the whole- area of tho North Sea would be covered by blockade operations, and any vessel entering that area .'would be liabu to capture. ■ Also, if the oapturi ing ship cannot take her prize;'back to port, she may, after placing the crew in safety, sink the vessel captured. Trading, steamers, of all nations are therefore m danger when making for a .belligerent's port, while naval operations are in progress. . The Benefits of Steam.' - As regards the rhoro practical dangers of capture, it may be noted that they aro less in these days of steam-propelled'ships than la the days of sailing vessels. Tho latter, depending on. the weather, could only travel in tne direction: of- the prevailing, winds. ' They were to be', found scattered all over Hie seas, easy, .prey for the casually patrolling commerce 'destroyer. Nowadays a steamer can take, tho most direct course to her destination.Trade routes have been narrowed down to lines of communication of practically no breadth, and\outside these lints v areas are blank coverts. It is obvious that these lines coulu be eo varied as to throw any warship hovering about their ordinary course off the scent, i Again, com-merce-destroying warsnips cannot stav at sea for lo'ngor than thoir coal will allow. Their bunker capacity rcgulatesthe duration of theli sea-going trips;---Maritime bommeree is perhaps safer "during'a war nowadays than in the times-,of Nelson. Hut while the command of the sea trembles in' the balance dangers threaten it >m every side. ■ • ■" ; NAVAL FINANCE COST OF WORLD NAVIES. A White Paper issued recently shows the "naval expenditure of tho eight principal, naval Power3-during each of' tho last ten years. The total for the current year is .£170,682,000,. un--->increase of i! 65,284,000 over the total .of '1904. A more instructive- comparison' niay;>be made bytaking the expenditure of« 1906-7. The British, estimates for that year were the* first for which the Liberal Government was responsible, and the first Dreadnought, a legacy from tho ..Balfour Government, was launched in. February, . 1908. Thus the year'l9o6 was the begin-' ning of u new period. A process of Te : duction begun under Mr. Balfour, was carried further, under Sir Henry Camp-bell-Bannefmah, and in- 7907-8 the naval .expenditure was cut down to ,£32,730,000. next year it began to mount, and ing each succeeding year from 191,0-il it has soared above all previous '.records.' The following table shows the iuiyal, outlay of the eight Powers in 1913-14 and 1908-7 to the nearest £1000, including appropriations in aid and expenditure out of loans, but not including interest paid on loans:— ■ 1906-7. 1915-14 .Increase.' Great Britain... 34,600,000 47,022.000 12,422,000 Franco 12,246,000 20,848,000 8,602,000 Russia .12,490,000 24,249,000 11,759,000 Germany '.; 12,005,000 23,039.000 11,034.000 ■Italy.'-.:. 5,322,000 10,158,000 4,836,000 .Austria-Hungary 2.398,000 6,006,000 3,608X00 United States 21,358,000 29,499,000, 8,141,000 ' Japan 6,311,000 9,861,000 ' 3,650,000 106,730,000 170,682,000 '63,952,000 •The amounts voted for new construction, including armament, are as follows: \ .1906-7. 191344 Increase. Great Britain... 10,859,000 16,102,000 - 5,243.000 Franco 4,652,000 8,893,000 4,241,000 .Russia .',. 4,577,000 11,845,000 7,268,000 Germany . 5,167,000 11,011,000 5,844,000 Italy ................. 1,362,000 - Anstria-Hnngary 1,012,000 3.285,000 2,273,000 United States 6.776,000' 7,259,000 483.0C0, Japan 768,000 3,551,000 2,783,000 i The amount of new construction (tonnuge, when completed, of vessels launched during each year) is only, available down to 1912. Here ; it is:— ■-. - ■'. ■■-•■ 1906-7. 1912-13 Increase •' Great Britain . 83,260 113,647 23,787 •Prance ..-'.....: 19,338 .65,776 36,438 . ■ Russia, i 80,800 . 914 79,946 i Germany 53,180 69,400 16,220 ■Italy 16.016 57.051 41,035-Austria-Hungary... 2,233 49,269 47,036 United States '-.... 37,283 91,477 54,194 Japan 39,870 65,081 16,211 The numbers of personnel of the various navies for the present are as follow:—Britain, 146,000; France, 63,596; Russia; 52,463; Germany, 73,176; Italy, 37,095 Austria-Hungaryi 19,091; United States, 67,097; Japan (1912), 53,054. There has been plenty of "progress' during the last eight years.' .•.-.<.■.