Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, 15 April 1915, Page 21

Current Topics

The German Blockade and Mines ; A.. A week or two ago we commented upon the stress which was laid in the German Note to America upon the intended use of mines in carrying out the so-called blockade of the British coasts. In the Note presented at Washington by Count Bernstorff the announcement was expressly made that Germany intended to sow mines in waters around the British • Isles as part of the warfare against belligerent merchantmen—with, of course, certain and inevitable risk to neutrals. German papers emphasise the same point, and indicate quite clearly that the wholesale use of mines was looked forward to, no less than the action of the submarines, to play a great part in the work of strangling British trade. The Cologne Gazette, for example, gives the following advice to neutrals:—‘To genuine neutral shipping only this good advice can be given. Remain far from the waters which have been declared a war zone, because another weapon may be called on to play an important rolenamely, the mine. England will not fail to protect herself against submarines by mines. Our navy, too, probably. with the assistance of submarines, will not. fail to cover the English coast with mines, and to devote particular attention to English harbors. It is not, however, possible for mines, with the best, will in the world, to distinguish neutral from enemy vessels. They bring death and destruction to all alike who approach too near them.’ And even the well-known Germania announces and approves the indiscriminate sowing of mines for the blind destruction of unarmed passenger vessels, whether British or neutral. ‘ We, of course, shall place mines before English harbors. We are fully entitled to do so, since all the British ports have been declared war ports. . Our, U boats have contrivances for mine-laying, and will make lavish use oi them. We may expect, from the discernment of our II boat captains that they will lie able (c> recognise neutral ships, even in the present, difficult, circumstances, and spare them, but mines are blind, and may strike anyone going into danger. Neutral shipping must make itself clear on this point.’ As little, if any, destruction by mines has been recorded since February 18—the date from which the ‘ blockade ’ was to operate —it must be presumed that the policy above outlined has been found difficult, if not impossible, of accomplishment. What Will America Do ? The American Note presented in protest against Germany’s famous decree declaring a naval war zone, and announcing that even neutral ships would be liable to be destroyed if found within the proclaimed area, made it very clear that, officially at least, Germany was to be held strictly accountable if any injury were done to the lives or property of American citizens in carrying out what the Note described as this unprecedented naval policy. The Note observes: ‘To exercise. the right, of attack or destroy any vessel entering the prescribed area in the high seas without first certainly determining its belligerent nationality and the contraband character of its cargo is an act so unprecedented in naval warfare that this Government is 'reluctant to believe that the Imperial Government of Germany in. this case contemplates it as possible.’ And it continues: ‘lf the commanders of German vessels of war act on the presumption that tho flag of the United States is not. used in good faith, and should destroy on the high seas ah American vessel and the lives of American citizens, it would be difficult for the Government of the United States to view such an act in any other light than an indefensible violation of neutral rights which it would be very hard indeed to reconcile with the friendly relations now happily existing between the two Governments. The United States Government would be constrained to hold the Imperial Government to strict accountability for such acts, and to take-any steps that- might be necessary to safeguard

American lives and property.’ The American press is even more explicit and . emphatic, and warns Germany of the peril she runs if any ill befalls any American citizen whatever he the nationality of the boat by which he or she is travelling. The New York Sun says The contention that 1 officers of * a submarine cannot be -expected to ascertain the id'Vitity of neutral ships is preposterous ' and indefensible. British submarines are hailing neutral ships and stopping them every day, and no German officer in his senses can plead incapacity, although he might feign it, by obeying secret orders.’ The Sun again warns Germany that ‘there must be no doubt in the German official mind that the United States will hold Germany strictly accountable for mistakes that cause the destruction of A merican merchant ships or loss of American lives.’ The New York Herald says that ‘ the United States is clearly within its right in notifying Germany in terms incapable of being misunderstood that she will be held to strict accountability for the destruction of an American vessel or the loss of a single American life.’ And the World remarks : ‘ Mr. Wilson’s Note to Germany applies to Americans on hoard British and Ftench ships as well as to American ships by declaring that a submarine, has no more, right, wantonly to kill Americans in the. Lusitania than in the St. Paul or St. Louis. In lire Falaba ease a German submarine has killer! an American citizen in the person of Mr Thrasher. Ik will he interesting to see what action President Wilson's Administration will take in the matter. Arizona Prohibition Some time ago we referred to the new and drastic prohibition law which has been carried in the State of Arizona, and to the application which had been made by Bishop Granjon for an injunction to suspend tho operation of the law so far as the exclusion of wine for sacramental purposes is concerned, and to have this provision annulled us being ultra vires and unconstitutional. I hat. application has so tar failed ; and unless the Supreme Court, takes a. different view from that of the District Court, and comes promptly to the rescue, there is imminent danger of the Catholics of Arizona being entirely deprived of Holy Mass in the near future. As we learn from the Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, January S, the seriousness of tho situation was only realised when it was learned that the dealers who supply sacramental wine to the Catholic churches of that part of the country had been unable to fill an order sent to them by Father Marx, of Winslow, because the railroad companies refused to accept the wine for transportation. News of the matter reached Tucson when Bishop Granjon received a letter from Father Marx, in which he enclosed the following communication, sent to him by the San Francisco house with which he had placed the order;—‘Rev. Father, — regret to state that your order reached us too late. The drastic prohibition law in your State gbes into effect on the Ist of January, and railroad companies since the last few days are refusing to accept liquor shipments to Arizona, on the ground that it'is impossible to have the goods delivered to consignees by the first of the year. With best wishes for a. happy and prosperous New Year, —We remain, yours very respectfully. Brim and Chaix, Inc. December 28, 1914. To Rev. George Marx, Winslow, Ariz.’ When questioned about the matter, local railroad officials said that the statement of Brun and Chaix was correct, and that none of the transportation lines would accept ’consignments of liquor of any kind for delivery in Arizona, there being no exception whatever in favor of sacramental wine for Catholic churches. * Interviewed on the matter, Bishop Granjon expressed the natural hope that some relief from the law might be secured through the courts or through a modi-, fication of it by a. vote of the people, and was also naturally loth to consider the condition which would result when all the sacramental wine then in Arizona had been used. \ He did say, however, that if they were unable to secure sacramental wine the priests would be unable to perform their duties, and in such a case doubt-

less he and the sixty-four priests in Arizona would be compelled to move from the State, abandoning their churches and people, and, further, that all devout believers in the Faith would of necessity have to journey outside the State at frequent intervals to attend Mass, or, if they were not situated so that that were possible, they would have to move to some other State to reside. Commenting on this situation, our esteemed contemporary, the Ave Maria , remarks: ‘lt is difficult to believe that the legislators of any portion of this country are so destitute of ordinary common-sense as not to bring about a modification of the law in question but if the * Arizona legislators are so unreasonable, their State is evidently no place for Catholics—or other sane people. That is all very 'well ; but the point is that no section of the community has the right to drive Catholics out of the State of Arizona by such an invasion of their religious freedom. Of course some relief will be found; but this is one of the cases in which prevention is better than cure. Eternal vigilance is still the price of liberty. The Call for Ammunition Some time ago General French was reported as having said that if the men and munitions asked for were forthcoming the Allies would achieve some measure of definite and final success after three months’ fighting. It is quite pqssible that Sir John French never* made any such statement; but if he did, it was certainly for the purpose of impressing upon the British armament workers the life and death necessity for an adequate supply of war material. It is the one insistent cry from each of the Allies. American factories are sending thousands of tons of arms across the ocean to England in a continuous stream, yet this amounts to only a small portion of Britain’s need. Not only England, but France and Russia also, arc pleading desperately with American manufacturers for war supplies, and are offering almost unheard-of prices, yet the quantities obtainable still fall very far short of the demand. According to New York papers, every ammunition factory, every harness factory, and every vehicle factory is sold out for the next, three months or more. The acuteness of (Imposition may be gauged by a recital of some of the tempting orders which have had to be ‘turned down.’ The United States Steel Corporation has been forced to refuse an order for 100,tons of barbed wire because its wire mills are working to their full capacity. The Union Metallic Cartridge Company has been compelled to turn back a possible £1,000,000 order. An American manufacturer’s agent gives us some further particulars. He has returned from Europe because there is no further use for him there, his company being unable to even begin to fill the orders -that are coming to it unsought. ‘ Every factory in England,’ he says^ that can be turned into a factory fordhe production of munitions of war is now busy turning out things for ; the army on the Continent. And still the demand far exceeds the supply. Orders arc going begging that are staggering to one who is not on the inside of the situation. For instance, there is an order waiting for £2,000,000 worth of shells. It has been suggested that some American manufacturer in some other line who is not crowded with orders could make an immense profit on this if he would make a few changes in his works so that he could produce shells. Should this be done he would be given a guarantee that would cover the cost of changes and make him a fortune. Another order that is going begging is for 250,000,000 cartridges for machine guns, which means more than £1,000,000, and this order would be increased to 800,000,000 if it were even remotely possible to guarantee delivery within the next three to six months. But every factory is now running up to the limit, and there is scarcely any use even talking about it in the United States. Then there is the demand for vehicles and harness. One American concern got into this end of the game" early, and acted as agent for the British Government. It nut out orders enough to keep the harness makers busy for months, and incidentally at a price that is making,a fortune for the

agents. The amount of the-orders runs into the millions, and the price was away up. Horses are another big demand. The French Government has asked the United States to supply £5,000,000 worth, and if there were many times as many in the country as there are now they would find a ready sale if they came within striking distance of the specification for cavalry or artillery animals. » A horse isn’t good for much more than a month under present war conditions, and the armies have to keep the supplies hurrying in to take the places of the dead and disabled.’ All this referred to a period pnor to February. In view of the near approach of really serious and' extensive operations, the need will be greater and graver than ever; and it is humiliating to think that one of the causes of shortage should be .the moral laxity and lack of patriotism of a section of the British workers. Germany and America Some ] time ago, when commenting on President Wilson s threat of ‘ serious complications ’ if Germany peisisted in her naval war zone policy, we ventured the very safe prediction that the German War Lords were not likely to become ! at all nervous at the prospect, and that there would be no abandonment of the programme winch formed the subject of President Wilson’s protest. That has notoriously been the case. Not only so, but a section of the German press have expressed frank and flat and almost contemptuous defiance'of the American declaration. ‘ When -something does not suit the Yankees, , says Die Post , ‘ they are accustomed to adopt as threatening and as frightful a sabre-rattling tone as possible. They reckon that the person thus treated will let himself be frightened and give in. If this does not come to pass, however, if (he person thus treated and threatened with the strongest expressions pays no attention and shows that he is not scared and" will not let himself be driven into a state of funk, the staggering Yankees calm themselves and soon quiet down.’ The l’os.A.sc/ie Zritnnij says that while the searching of ships for contraband previously lias been the acknowledged procedure, the entry ot the submarine ‘denotes a new (actor in naval warfare, ' The submarine,’ savs this newspaper, ‘ runs a risk against armed merchantmen. England has both armed its merchantmen and advised them to carry false Hags. Shall Germany, in the face of such treacherous measures, throw down her arms because an American ship might possibly be wrongly torpedoed 1 he American note demands nothing else.’ lie llumhnri/rr A rich Ic n , discussing the note, says that nobody can demand that German warships expose themselves to destruction through consideration for neutrals. ' American merchantmen,’ the Nachrichten continues, ‘ retain their right to sail in the specified waters or to avoid them. if Washington assumed that the Admiralty’s declaration will not he executed unsparingly it fundamentally deceives itself. The threatening sentences in the American note arc quite unimpressive.’ And Count Ernest Bcveutlow, the naval expert, in the concluding sentences of an article in the Tai/i* Zrit umj, administers the snub direct to President Wilson. lie declares that the request of the United States that ships be searched before further action is taken against them shows ‘that the.people in Washington do not or will not comprehend the meaning of the German measure.’ ‘ Wo have so often demonstrated,’ Count Reventlow continues, ‘ the impossibility of search, that we can merely refer to our earlier , remarks. Washington must know this and'therefore the demand of the note for a search and the establishment of the identity of the neutral merchant amounts de facto to non-recognition of the German declaration respecting war territory.’ Count Reventlow repeats the German order, the declaration of which he asserts is a considerate warning, and adds: ‘Whether it is regarded or protested against is of secondary importance. If its consequences arc depicted as “inexcusable’-’ we may believe that the United - States Government misjudges its ground. The same can be said of the remarkable phrase in the note that the United States Government will see itself impelled to hold the German Imperial

Government responsible , for such, action of t jits naval authorities; She cannot escape the : conclusion that President Wilson and Secretary Bryan in their communications with the Mexican pretenders arid rebel leaders have accustomed themselves to a tone that is not suitable for communications with the German Empire.’ Count Reventlow declares that the American Government’s request for assurances that its ships and citizens will be subjected only to search, even in the war <zone, is utterly out of the question. ‘The only way to preserve the existing relations between the German Empire and the United States,’ he says in conclusion, ‘ is actual American recognition of the German war zone declaration and regard for the warning expressed therein.’ That is what may be called fairly plain speaking and it goes to show that, as we have before suggested, these American paper protests, with nothing behind them, are not taken in the least degree seriously by any of the belligerents.