The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News. The Echo and The Sun. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1939 IS IT FEASIBLE?

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 305, 27 December 1939, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News. The Echo and The Sun.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1939 IS IT FEASIBLE?

For the cause that lacks assistance. For the wrong that reeds resistance, For the future in (he distance, And the good that tee can do.

From the point of view of the countries concerned, the proposal of the Pan-American Republics to establish a "safety zone ,, extending —with certain exceptions—for 300 miles from their .-hores can be well understood. They are anxious to preserve their own safety and their

own coniinorcial nnd shipping interests; but tliat such a proposal should ever be made shows how

differently neutrals and belligerents manr<l the practical implications of a state of war. If a country is at war, it is immediately brought up up-junst hard iirul unpleasant facts. It' a country is still at peace, its consideration!! are apt to be theoretical. This i.s the case in regard to the safety zone. Suppose that 300-mile limit had been in operation when the British squadron met the Admiral Graf Spee. Would our cruisers have had to watch that raider, which had already done such damage to merchant shipping, pass into the safety of these waters? In theory that should have been their action. But in practice it is extremely doubtful if they would have allowed their quarry to escape in such a way, only again to be free to continue its depredations.

The -whole scheme bristles with difficulties both from the Allied aspect of observing it, and from the American aspect of effectively establishing and maintaining , it. The waters of Canada and of other colonies are to be exempt. Presumably, the "colonies" includes the Falkland Islands, which lie within the limit. Even if those islands are exempt, how could Britain use them? An important naval base is established there, and if Britain had to be circumspect in its use— as circumspect she would have to be with neutral waters all round —much of the strategic value of the islands would be lost. The Latin-American Republics together have 70 war vessels available for use in

maintaining the proposed ocean limits. The Atlantic coastline is 8500 miles long and the Pacific 5300 miles. It is obvious that for that length of coast, let alone the vast area of water beyond, 70 vessels would be quite inadequate. The burden, then, would fall on the American Navy. While the Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Sumner Welles, according to the speech he made at the Pan-American conference in September, is apparently willing that the United States should shoulder the main burden, it is extremely doubtful if Americans oare to see an increasing number of their vessels dispersed on patrol duty. . That is what may be expected to happen. So great would be the task of policing that vast water area, that more and more ships would be drawn into ■ it, not to mention aircraft.