NEWEST "FRIGHTFULNESS."

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 69, 22 March 1915, Page 3

NEWEST "FRIGHTFULNESS."

s . BLOCKADING GREAT BRITAIN. AN ABSURD THREAT. (From Our Special Correspondent? LONDON', February 5. We are learning many things in this War which we should never have suspected if the Germans had not told us. For example, a Hamburg paper has just kindly -revealed to ns that Liverpool was '"long ago blockaded by German mines." We hatPnt a ghost of a notion of. the'fact that the premier port of our West Coast was- in -this parlous plight, and it is highly probable that we should have failed entirely to have grasped t;ie fact ".hat the "blockade" now solemnly proclaimed for all our coasts was in* operation if the Germans had not paraded their intentions to subject all our ports to the process, which, for many weeks past, has been applied to Liverpool — without even Liverpoolknowing it. -There is another matter upon which tbe Germans have enlightened us. One of their -admirals, surveying the course of operations since the beginning of the "war, comes to the conclusion that the chief defect of his countrymen is that they have been too "fastidious." -We really hadn't noticed this defect, nor bad the Belgians or the French, bjit they and "we are now ■warned that the sands of German fastidiousness have run out, and that in future Germany will "fight with the gloves off," as the saying goes. Says the admiral: — "What do -we care about the outcry of others, and the indignation of our enemies? We Germans have a great lesson to learn from this war —namely, not to be fastidious and not to listen > to others." "The German command," | says a Berlin paper, "is responsible only to its own conscience for what it likes I to do or leave undone, and it will bear I the responsibility, painful though our measures of defence may be for the Anglo-French starving-O—t "strategists." The long-suffering Germans, having till now conducted a kid-glove warfare are at length going to consult only their own conscience, and if they kill innocent non-combatants or neutrals, "what concern is it of other people, proTided Germany is satisfied? YON •POHL'S BOMBAST. The first intimation ¥6 received that the' gloves were to be -taken off by Germany was the publication in the official "Reichsanzeigei 3 ' of a long official diatribe against England, denouncing her in the customa_y jna T iner for -violating all principles of international law. The article, which. is particularly intended for neutrals, warns them, against entrusting to such merchant vessels as come within the terms of the announcement passengers, crews, or goods. It: concludes with the following announcement, signed by Admiral yon Pohl, Chief of the German. ________ Staff:— "The waters around. Great Britain and Ireland, including the whole of the English Channel, are herewith, proclaimed a war j legion. On and after February 13 every enemy merchant vessel found in this 'war region will be destroyed without its always being possible to warn the crew or.passengers of the danger threatening. ■ 2-.-2fer.tral . ships ,-will-also incur danger in the war legion, where, in priew of the. misuse of neutral flags ordered by the British Government, and incidents inevitable in sea "warfare, attacks intended for 'hostile ships may affect neutral ships also. Tbe sea passage to-the North of the Shetland Islands and the eastern region of the North Sea, in a ione of at least -thirty miles along the Netherlands coast, is not menaced by any danger." A FOOLISH THREAT. When people lose their tempers, they ! generally lose their heads, and make fools of themselves. Yon Pohl 6ee__a to have done so by his absurd proclamation of a blockade of the British coast, for if the- proclamation issued is not a notice, of it has no validity or meaning. In blockades no distinction is drawn between enemy ships and neutrals. But since the only type of vessel the Germans can employ is the submarine, it is evident that no ship 6, enemy or neutral will be brought into port for adjudication—nor, indeed, can be. They have, themselves, been at ho pains to conceal their intentions. "On and after February 18 every enemy merchant vessel found in this war region will be destroyed, without its always being possible to wacn the crew or passengers of the danger threatening. Seutsal ships will also incur danger in the war region, where ... attacks intended for hostile ships may affect neutral ships also." This means to say that if a ship approaches flying a neutral flag she wUI be -torpedoed on the supposition that the wearing of the neutral flag is a ruse of the treacherous English. 0 The neutral nations are "having their say" about this piece German "high eonseienceness," and 'tis plainly apparent that they don't like it. So far as English people are .concerned, they are ___her inclined to welfcome yon Pohl's announcement. From the beginning of the war we have been hampered by conditions which have made it impossible for the Navy to exercise its full power of constriction. By the threatened action of the Germans we obtain full liberty to act. Although the declared action of our Government, in reply to the official commandeering of all cornetuffs in Germany, does not, for the moment, go beyond the intention to Seize the cargo of the Wilhelmina, the statement issued last night by the Foreign Office makes it plain that further ard more stringent steps are in view. Vi'c have been loath so far id take full advantage of our belligerent rights; bnt-tlie advertised intention of the enemy to sink ail merchant ships plying to or from our shores without bringing them into port or making provision for the safety of passengers or crew, justifies a more rigid application of pressure, in which we shall have the support of -the whole world, so long as wo do our very best to avoid unnecessary loss and inconvenience- to neutrals. In this we shall be assisted by the fact that the commodities which we intend to prevent the Germans getting will all be very useful indeed to John Bull, -who will be only too happy to pay a fair price for whatever his Navy can keep out of Germany.