"GERMAN FRIGHTFULNESS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 January 1917, Page 5

"GERMAN FRIGHTFULNESS.

SCATHING REMARKS BY MR. BALFOUR. Mr. A. .J. Balfour, the First Lord of the Admiralty, made a most effective speech at the T.ord Mayor's banquet. It should have the widest possible pjJjlicitv. ''l am confident -when the Germans entered the war they supposed the German fleet, was going'to riv;;. the historic deeds of the British fleet, French fleet, Dutch fleet —nations which have mad') naval history of modern times. But 1 think they have given up that view, and I think you can mark the moment at which they gave it up. The moment they gave up that view was when th°v took instead to drowning peaceful trader? and destroying women and childen, r,p(, by fleet ntcion but by submarine treachery. I think you can tell the moment at viiir-h tiioy gave up the nobler iiop.e and took to' the meaner and mere criminal method. , ■ MARK THE MOMENT. "The day before wn. \\-as declared between Great Britain and Germany—An#" gust 3, 3 914—the Germans reissued their prize code, a code signed by the Em- 1 peror and by Von Tirpitz. May I read you three linos relevant to this'particular point? This is the procedure laid 4own for a German ship which stops and searches a vessel, neutral or otherwise: "In stopping and searching a vessel under a neutral Sag the commander must avoid as far as possible diverting her from her route. He will in general endeavor to cause the vessel as little inconvenience as, possible. "Ma)' I remind you of what happened to a particular neutral vessel only the other day—a Norwegian vessel called tin "Ravn." It was attacked by a submarine in the middle of a raging storm. The ship wns sunk, the crew were given five minutes to get into their boats. One of those boats containing the captain has never been heard of since. The other boat, under the command of the mate, reached the shore, bnt of the ten persons who comprised the erew, two perished from hardship before the shore vas reached, and two perished on the rocks when they ultimately reached the hiiid. A happy illustration of -'avoiding as far ns possible diverting' n neutral vessel from her route—sending her to the bottom! A happy illustration of endeavoring to cause the vessel 'as litth inconvenience as possible.' Nothing can lie more criminally hypocritical than the line the Germans have taken in this connection. "I SAY IT LOUDLY." "T do not like reading extracts on any occasion, but I must, if you will allow me, read you a very short extract from air. indignant, address made by Baron Marshall, for a short time Ambassador in this country, who about seven years ngo represented Germany at The Hague. There was a question before The Hague Conference as to what should be done with regard to mines. The British objected to German methods, ami said it was hard upon neutrals. The German representative spoke as follows: "Military action is not solely governed by the stipulators of international law. There are other facts, conscience, gon.l sense, and that feeling of the duties imposed by the principles of humanity will bo the safest guide for the conduct, of the sailors, and will afford the most effective guarantee against abuse. The officers of the German navy, I proclaim it loudly, will always fulfil in the. strictest manner the duties which result firm the unwritten law of humanity and civilisation." "What are tfe to say of a nation which - wakes that speech through the month of its chosen representative at an assembly of the' nations to consider international law, and only, a few years afterwards strikes medals for the 'Lusitania,' (asked Mr. Balfour). We all know what >t means. "It means that the Germans have deliberately come to the conclusion that to inspire terror is the best way of j success. Frightfulness is their object, and it is on the altar of frightfulness Uhat all these crimes are permitted.