BALTIC SUBMARINES.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1915, Page 3

BALTIC SUBMARINES.

appeals TO SWEDEN. The activity of British submarines in the Baltic seems to cause intense displeasure to Hamburg. The Hamburger Nachriehten, in its time the most violent advocate of ruthless submarine warfare .produced on Sunday a leading article full of bitter complaints and almost pathetic appeals to Sweden. The Hamburg writer declares that Great Britain is angry with Sweden "because she did not entirely suppress her Baltic trade in order to please the Quadruple Entente Powers," and that "British submarines seem now to have undertaken the task of suppression." It is asserted that England has long been miserable about "the supremacy of the German navy in the Baltic." Nothing is said about German's ability to maintain this curious "supremacy," except that "we Germans can watch matters calmly." Sweden, meanwhile, is invited to deal with "the new and intolerable trick." The article concludes as follows: "Doubtless there is no longer any State which believes in the reconstruction of the Russian steam-roller, and equally feeble is now the legend that Great Britain could by means of her sea power influence decisively the course of the European war. These are proved facts of the highest importance. One can understand that the smaller neutral States are cautious in the application of these facts, but signs are increasing that the appreciation of them is making progress, and that these neutral States do not consider themselves hound to put up with .everything which may please British tyranny at sea. . . One could not have blamed the Swedes if one of their warships had simply sunk the British submarines which at a distance of only two kilometres from the Swedish coast, plundered a stranded German steamer, and then tried to blow it up."