The Sinking of a German Submarine

Levin Daily Chronicle, 20 March 1917, Page 1

The Sinking of a German Submarine

EEPLY TO, ENEMY STATEMENT. The Secretary of the Admiralty makes the following announcement:— The German Press are trying to make capital out of what the describe as a stecond Baralong case. One object may bo conjected to be the incitement of American opinion against Great Britain another the provision of arguments in favour of an "unrestrained" submarine campaign.

The facts are perfectly simple. On the morning of the 2ith September. 1915, in the Western Channel, the U4I was engaged in sinking a British merchant steamer. Whilst she was so engaged a .converted; merchant vessel, commissioned as one of His Majesty's auxiliary ships, approached the sub. marine and the sinking ship. Her character was not recognised and in order that the submarine might not submerge before she was within range she hoisted neutral colours—a perfectly legitimate ruse de querre. When within range she hoisted the white ensign, as all British ships of war are required to do, fired on, and sank the submarine.

The immediate 'preoccupation of her commander was to rescue the crew of the British vessel sunk by'the submarine, who had been compelled to take to their boats 50 miles from the nearest port. When this had been done His Majesty's ship closed with one of the boats of the sunken steamer which had broken adrift, into which two survivors of the submarine's crew had claimed. These were rescued in the same way as, but after, their victims.

The use of a neutral flag in order to approach within range of an enemy is a recognised practice of naval war, and has been repeatedly adopted by the Germans themselves in this war. The Moewe, for instance, secured most of her victims by this method. It is difficult to believe that anybody except a German would base on these facts an accusation of "brutality" on the ground that it was the English and not the German survivors who were saved first by a matter of a few minutes. The whole allegation affords a very fine example of the typical German mentality. It is the first obligation of the non-German to save German life. Xo reciprocal obligation rests on the German. Any surprise or ruse de guerre by the Germans is legitimate. All 'become illegitimate when practised against Germans.

. The Statement that the Admiralty had ever issued orders 'that survivors of German submarine need not be rescued in an absolute lie, and was explicitly denied in the Note of His Majesty's Government on the Baralong case, datetd the 25th February. 1916.