BAN ON SUBMARINES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 October 1939, Page 5

BAN ON SUBMARINES

IN AMERICAN TERRITORIAL WATERS PROCLAMATION ISSUED BY PRESIDENT. ACTION TO MAINTAIN PEACE AND SECURITY. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright WASHINGTON, October 18. President Roosevelt issued a proclamation stating’ that American ports and territorial walers are barred to belligerent submarines, which can enter only in the event of force ma.jeure such as a storm. The President said that he acted under Section 8 of the present Neutrality Act. and added that it would “serve to maintain peace, protect commercial interests, and promote the security of the United States." Eighteen Latin American Governments are expected to issue similar proclamations, the exception!; being Argentina and Uruguay, who are understood to feel that submarines should be treated identically with other warcraft. President Roosevelt exempted the Panama Canal zone only to the threemile limit, not the 300-tni'ile safety zone, since the former is considered sufficient because of the difficulty of fuelling. Evidently his theory was that the canal is a waterway kept open for all nations. He named the belligerents as France. Germany, the United Kingdom. India. Australia. Canada. New Zealand. South Africa and Poland.