ATTACK BY U-BOAT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 280, 8 September 1941, Page 5

ATTACK BY U-BOAT.

AMERICAN WARSHIP’S ACTION. f GERMAN VERSION DENIED (United Press Association —Copyright.) WASHINGTON. Sept, 7.

The United States Navy Department has announced that, notwithstanding the German contention appearing in to-day’s press, the initial attack in the engagement between the United States destroyer Greer and an unidentified submarine was made by the submarine on the Greer.

The attack is described as the most startling development of the war as far as it concei'ns the United States. The Greer, which was carrying mail to Iceland, was not damaged in the attack, which she countered by dropping depth-charges. The official announcement in Berlin admits that a U-boat fired two torpedoes at a destroyer of unknown nationality- in German blockade waters at 2.29 p.m. The torpedoes missed their mark, after which the destroyer dropped depth-charges until midnight, but without success.

The German announcement added that the destroyer had attacked he U-boat, whose action was justified on the ground of self-defence. The attack against the U-boat proved that Mr Roosevelt had given shooting orders to the United States Navy, and was trying to provoke incidents to force the Americcan people into war. According to the latitude and longitude given in the Berlin statement the attack on the Greer occurred about 220 miles south-west of Reykjavik.

It is assumed that the broadcast by Mr Roosevelt on Tuesday, just announced, has been prompted by the attack on the Greer. An official at the White House,, declining to comment on the content of the speech, said it would be “of major significance.” The speech will take 15 minutes, and will be rebroadcast in 14 languages. The “New York Times,” in a leading article oil the Greer incident, says: “It is time for us to recognise the realities of our position. We are no longer neutral in this war. We are not. above the battle.

“It is time to repeal the prohibition of the Neutrality Act, which has lost all sense and meaning, and to arm our ships and send them on their appointed missions under the protection of our Navy.”

“We Accept the Challenge.”

At a press conference, Mr Roosevelt said: “We accept the challenge promptly and gladly.” He added that he had ordered United States forces too eliminate the submarine. “And you can quote me as saying ‘eliminate.’ ” he said.

The President said that the Greer was alone at the time of the attack and was clearly marked with the American ensign and her identification number on the side. She was attacked several times in daylight, in good visibility, and it was fortunate that she was not hit by the submarine’s torpedoes. He emphasised that the Greer was on the American side of the Atlantic, and he refused to recognise a suggestion that the destroyer might, have been in a belligerent zone. She was close to Greenland in a zone that was supposed to be blockaded by the Germans, he said, but everyone knew that there was no effective blockade. The President showed no patience with a theory that the submarine might have fired its torpedoes by sound without sighting the ship. The firing of a torpedo blindly carried consequences just as grave as if the ship had been sighted, he said. It reminded him of a story of some children who were going to school and were fired on from some bushes by marauders. The father of the children said that he would do nothing, not even search the bushes, as none of the children had been hit. “We are not going along with father this time,” said the President. “The bushes are going to be searched and it might be said that I am the school teacher who is going to conduct the search.” The Washington correspondent of the New York “Sun” says that the United States Navy may be ordered to shoot at sight at all Axis warships if the attack on the Greer is proved to have been deliberate.

London newspapers comment on the incident in plain language. The “Daily Telegraph,” under the heading of “The New World Peril,” states: “It only remains for Bei’lin. to declare its attiude. If the Germans accept responsibility for the attack, they will throw down a direct challenge to Mr Roosevelt’s order for the elimination of the enemy.” The “Daily Mail’ states: “In view of the fact that the attack was made on the American side of the Atlantic there can he no doubt that the submarine commander geted on orders received from Berlin. This is the first time since the war broke out that the Germans have made a direct attack on Americans.”