NEUTRAL VESSELS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24226, 19 February 1940, Page 7

NEUTRAL VESSELS

SINKINGS BY NAZIS SCANDINAVIAN THREAT NO CARGOES FOR GERMANY (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) COPENHAGEN, Feb. 16. A conference of Scandinavian shipping interests and high officials from the Foreign Offices of Sweden, Denmark and Norway agreed to recommend a joint Scandinavian approach to the German Government with a view to clarifying the position as regards neutral shipping.

Germany will be asked to cease sinking neutrals not carrying cargoes to belligerent countries, failing which the Scandinavian companies will refuse to carry cargoes destined for Germany. The Oslo Aftenpost says the obscurity of .the position of neutral shipping must be ended by negotiation among all the Powers concerned. PRESUMED LOST NORWEGIAN VESSEL LONDON, Feb. 16. The Norwegian steamer Bisp, 1000 tons, which left a British port for Haugesund with a cargo of coal on January 16, is presumed to have been lost. She carried a crew of 16. THREE DANISH VICTIMS HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE

COPENHAGEN, Feb. 16. Three Danish steamers are reported to have been sunk —the Martin Goldschmidt, 2095 tons, off the north coast of Scotland (it it believed that 15 of the crew were killed and five saved), the Sleipner, 1066 tons, and the Rhone, 1064 tons. The latter two were torpedoed off the east coast. On the Sleipner six of the passengers and six of the crew were saved, while six of the personnel of the Rhone were saved. SINKING OF DUTCH VESSEL NAZI REASONS NOT CONVINCING (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Feb. 16. (Received Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.) Three reasons given by the captain of the U-boat for the sinking of the Dutch vessel Burgerdijk are regarded in London with particular scepticism. First, he said the ship had been zig-zagging; secondly, that the ship had sent out a wireless message saying'that she had seen a submarine; and thirdly, that they were bound for England and that the cargo would be discharged there. With regard to the first, it is hardly surprising that any ship would do her utmost to attempt to avoid the fate that has befallen so many neutral vessels in being sunk without warning, and furthermore no reference is made to the fact that the Burgerdijk’s captain immediately complied with the order to stop. Concerning the second, both the captain and the wireless operator hotly denied' that they had sent any such message, and the ship’s papers, which the U-boat captain refused to examine, would have shown the third to be absolutely untrue.

DENMARK’S FEARS COPENHAGEN, Feb. 16. (Received Feb. 18, at 8 p.m.) Denmark fears that the latest ruthlessness against Danish ships constitutes the first attack on Danish agricultural exports to Britain. The National Tidende says the attacks on neutral shipping will gradually bring economic stagnation and death to neutrals. A NORWEGIAN RESOLUTION LONDON, Feb. 17. (Received Feb. 18, at 8 p.m.) The sharpness of the Norwegian temper is revealed in a resolution by the Seamen’s Association to the Government threatening to instruct its members to refuse to sail in ships “ carrying cargoes to that belligerent nation which proudly aims at the murder of defenceless sailors.” FINNISH VESSELS SEIZED CARGOES CONFISCATED HELSINKI, Feb. 16. (Received Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.) Germany seized two Finnish vessels bound for Britain and confiscated their cargoes of timber.