WIDE AREAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 84, 9 April 1940, Page 8

WIDE AREAS.

MINEFIELDS LAID.

Force German Ships Outside Neutral Area.

allied move justified.

Halted Press Association.—Copyright

fßeeetred 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 8. The British and French Fleets jointly earned out the mine-laying operations in Norwegian waters at dawn.

The mined area off Vestfjord is roughly 40 miles long and five miles wide across the mouth of the fjord. It is likely to seal effectively the German trade route to Narvik. Other areas extend from eight to ten miles to sea, forcing German ships outside Norwegian waters.

The three minefields lie roughly in the vicinity of Bodo, commanding the entrance' to the Vestfjord and Narvik; off Bud, which Is near Kristiansund, and off Stadtlandet Island, at the entrance to the Nordfjord.

The Stadtlandet minefield is about 48 square miles in extent and projects about six miles from the shore. The minefield at Bud projects 10 or 11 miles from the shore and covers about 30 square miles.

The Bodo area is the largest. It is about five miles wide and 20 miles long. A clear passage is still left to the Vestfjord, and therefore into Narvik

German Brutality. .l4sfon Al^ d , br ° adcast . re garding the , r f * j la 7 mines in Norwegian • , : "The German campaign a c amst the merchant shipping of all nations has been intensified and pursued with even greater brutality than before inW °- DeUtral Vessels dc «troyS neutral ? mpa , ,gI l now exceeds 150, and neutral lives lost total nearly 1000. f ta <* 3 have b «n carried out in almost every case in defiance of the iSSPT rUIGS of frequently with the greatest barbarity and on many occasions without the sliohtest justification. Germany has afreadv announced that she is entitled to destroy any neutral ship bound for a British port, including contraband harbours. -There have been repeated cases of vessels destroyed between two neutral ports when there was' no intention, of touching at any British port. It 13

obvious that the German Government is engaged in an indiscriminate campaign of destruction throughout the waters. in which their unnotified mines are laid or in which submarines are able to operate. Although the greatest losses have fallen on neutrals, Allied vessels also have suffered.

"A new development of this policy of destruction is the bombing of British and neutral trawlers and fishing boats and the machine-gunning of their crews. The innocent character of fishing boats hitherto has been universally recognised, but it has not prevented Germany committing nearly 200 attacks aimed at sinking them and murdering their crews. Even lightships and their crews have been ruthlessly attacked with bombs.

"It is a fact deserving of constant emphasis that. the German attacks are deliberately aimed at the destruction of neutral lives and property. It is abundantly clear that the purpose is pure terrorism.

Allies' Clear Sheet. [ "On the other hand the Allies have not destroyed a single neutral ship, nor have they taken a single neutral life.. They have not only saved innocent victims of German outrages, but have rescued from drowning German airmen and the crews of submarines who were guilty of these inhumanities.

Germany is flagrantly violating neutral rights in order to damage the Allied countries, while insisting upon the strictest observance of the rules of neutrality whenever such observance provides some advantage to herself. "International law has always recognised the right of a belligerent to take appropriate action when the enemy has systematically resorted to illegal practices. Such action, even though unlawful in ordinary circumstances, becomes lawful in view of other belligerents' violation of the law. The Allied Governments, therefore, are entitled to take such action as they deem proper in the present circumstances.

| "A heavy proportion of losses has fallen on the Norwegian mercantile marine, yet, while Germany is repeatedly sinking Norwegian shipping and murdering Norwegian seamen, she continued to demand from the Norwegian Government the fullest use of its territorial waters for her own commerce. Norway has even felt obliged to provide an armed escort in these waters for German ships, although she could not take effective action against German brutality on the high seas.

"Whatever may be the actual policy which German threats and pressure compel Norway to follow, the Allies no longer can afford to acquiesce in the present state of affairs whereby Germany obtains resources vital to her prosecution of the war, and obtains fro, » Norway facilities which place the Allies at a dangerous disadvantage, i. * . ve already given notice to the Norwegian Government that they e right to take such measures as they may think necessary to hinder or prevent Germany's obtaining resources or facilities in Norway."