The Waikato Times MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1939 AMERICAN “SAFETY ZONE”

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20990, 18 December 1939, Page 6

The Waikato Times MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1939 AMERICAN “SAFETY ZONE”

Apart from the problems of international law involved in the sheltering of the damaged German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee at Montevideo, another delicate question has arisen between the belligerents and the American republics. At the recent Pan American conference all the American republics agreed upon the designation of a “safety zone” extending 300 miles from the American coasts into the western Atlantic into which belligerent warships should not enter for hostile purposes. Apparently the action of the River Plate was fought within that zone; consequently it is suggested that the American Governments may consult and possibly protest to both Britain and Germany against this alleged violation of the “safety zone,” as Uruguay and Argentine have already protested. What standing the setting aside of this zone has under international law is not yet clear. While Britain has expressed sympathy with the American desire to keep its coasts clear of belligerent action, it has from the beginning been sceptical regarding the practicability of the scheme, and therefore has not given formal approval of the zone. The River Plate battle has shown how well founded Britain’s doubts were. No doubt, as far as Britain was concerned, the safety zone would have been completely respected, but the Graf Spee has been ranging about the zone claiming victims among British merchant ships plying lawfully in American waters. What option had Britain but to attack the German raider? The Graf Spee was caught in the act of attacking the French liner Formosa en route from Rio de Janeiro to Montevideo. Obviously, Britain cannot be expected to respect the safety zone unless Germany does likewise, and probably the American Governments will realise that fact. If another pocket battleship, the Admiral Scheer, is still in the South Atlantic, the problem may arise again, but it seems likely that that is the last possibility of naval action inside the safety zone. The Graf Spee is apparently in a hopeless position, and it is not expected that the Deutschland will again give any trouble in the South Atlantic. If Germany does again deliberately flout the wishes of the American countries she will only be making a rod for her own back. That the depredations of the German raider in the South Atlantic were more serious than was generally known has been disclosed at Montevideo. New Zealand has every reason to be proud that the Achilles played such an important part in driving so damaging a raider off the seas. Nine fine ships aggregating over 50,000 tons fell victims to the Graf Spee’s guns, including two vessels well known in the New Zealand trade, the Doric Star (10,086 tons) and the Tairoa (7983 tons). Apart from the lives lost and the value of the ships, tonnage capable of transporting large quantities of goods to Britain has gone to the bottom of the sea. Review of the Graf Spee’s victims raises a doubt whether the Admiral Scheer has been operating in the South Atlantic, but the sooner that mystery is solved the better.