The Waikato Times TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1939 CITY OF FLINT DRAMA

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20955, 7 November 1939, Page 6

The Waikato Times TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1939 CITY OF FLINT DRAMA

If anything connected with the grim business of war can be regarded as humorous, the world can be forgiven a smile over the discomfiture of Germany at the internment by Norway of the German prize crew on the American vessel City of Flint and the freeing of the ship from its captors. After a long series of adventures which has been followed with world-wide interest, the ship, after being held in a Russian port and then leaving for Hamburg, put into a Norwegian port for reasons which are not yet clear, but ostensibly because a member of the crew was ill. The cargo, which Germany alleges consists of contraband, is reported to be intact, and the American crew has again been placed in command in the neutral port. Norway’s position is perfectly clear; she could not permit the violation of a neutral port by a belligerent prize crew. Of course it is just possible that Germany deliberately adopted this method of getting rid of a problem that threatened serious complications with the United States. If that is so, Germany is making a good show of the indignation it is expressing over Norway’s action. In any case this would not justify what has gone before—the seizure of a neutral ship whose cargo might or might not have consisted of contraband, the incarceration of her crew and the installation of a German prize crew, the obviously illegal sheltering of the prize in a Russian neutral port and the subsequent navigation of the ship by a devious route through neutral territorial waters on the way to Germany. Even if Germany has washed her hands of the prize, she, and Russia, must still justify their action to the United States. Germany contends that the commander of the German prize crew was the victim of his own humanitarianism in putting into a neutral port to obtain medical aid for a sick man, but there is apparently something more in it than that, because all the members of the crew are reported to be fit and well. It is reported that Germany intends to tak! a “strong line” with Norway, but that is not likely to disturb the Norwegians. Germany has good reasons for not unduly antagonising Norway and the rest of the Scandinavian countries. Nor can she have any desire further to rouse American opinion against her. It is already clear that the Nazis have forfeited the sympathy of the great majority of the American people, and there could be neither sense nor reason from the German point of view in encouraging a repetition of the developments of the last war. While the City of Flint is safe in the Norwegian port, however, the last has probably not yet been heard of her. When she departs on her lawful occasions she will still be the object of widespread interest. When she leaves Haugesund Harbour she will still be in dangerous waters, and unless her cargo is disposed of in Norway she will still run the risk of interception by German submarines.—if Germany’s objection to her release is genuine. But would Germany risk the international repercussions that would follow a second capture or an attempt to sink the ship? If the cargo is sold in Norway the incident might end tamely, for there would be no excuse for the sinking of an empty ship. But the City of Flint is a closely watched ship and in any future action against her Germany will be playing, with fire.