NAZI MINE CROP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20101, 22 November 1939, Page 6

NAZI MINE CROP

ECONOMIC PRESSURE STOPPING SEA TRADE ALLEGATIONS DENIED SHIPPING LOSSES (F.10r.. Toi. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Britisli Oflioinl Wireless.) Reed. 1.50 p.m. RUGBY, Nov. 21. The announcement made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, of reprisals against Germany’s indiscriminate sowing of mines has met. by anticipation, a demand for action which an indignant public opinion was already beginning to formulate. So far in the present war German exports in neutral vessels have not been subject to interference and Germany has made great efforts to maintain her exports overseas, so as to obtain foreign exchange with which to pay for essential war imports from those sources, access to which is not already cut off by the British contraband control. The further measure of economic pressure now to be applied to Germany has very considerable significance. One effect will be to place her under the necessity of furnishing I to those countries from which she still is able to import, without interference of the Allied contraband conj trol, those kinds of goods which I they themselves require or are preI pared to accept. Purpose of Nazi Methods ! Britain’s form of retaliation is appreciated when it is remembered that I the essential purpose of the Nazi 1 methods of sea warfare was to | further the “blockade” of Britain by j intimidating neutral shipping. The indiscriminate sowing of German mines was heralded by repeated warnings to neutral shipping from Nazi sources of the danger of approaching the British coast and of allegations that the shipping losses by mines were due to minelaying outside British ports and a dangerous reduction in the width of clear channels. These allegations, which were without a vestige of justification, were I based on the insinuation that such action had been taken as a result of the sinking of the Royal Oak at Scapa Flow—an irrevelent contention since Scapa Flow is, in any case, declared a defended port and not a commercial port. British mines are not laid in the neighbourhood of or near to the approaches to any commercial port except in publicly-announced fields. Furthermore, British mines are automatically made innocuous if they break their mooring. An interesting confirmation of this comes from Belgium, where a British mine washed ashore at Ostend did not explode for the reason stated.