NORTH SEA TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 287, 28 August 1908, Page 7

NORTH SEA TROUBLE

TRAWLERS SEIZED. ALLEGED GERMAN INTERFERENCES. THE TAURUS CASE. (ill" TKI.Etj It A PII —rItESS ASSOCIATION-COPIIUoiIT.) (Rcc. August 27, 9.10 p.m.) London, August 27. Tho Grimsby trawler Taurus was fined £15 by the German Court at Flonsborg, and tho catch of fish was confiscated, for alleged tailing witmn tho Herman three miles limit. The skipper of the Taurus was so positive that he was outside the territorial limit that ho went to the expense of briefing a leading German advocate. Tho commander of tho German gunboat that stopped the Taurus declined to listen to remonstrauces or to oxamine any proof that the skipper of the Taurus was right by his bearing and chart. Sir Geo. Doughty, Unionist member of the House of Commons for Great • Grimsby, intonds to raise the whole question in Parliament. It is alleged at Grimsby that when tho arrest was made the trawler was stripped of everything movable connected with fishing operations—an unparalleled procedure, involving the owners in a loss of £200. Other trawlers were' molested nine miles from tho German coast.

There is a feeling In Grimsby that a British cruiser ought to be sent to these waters to protect British trawlers. REFERENCES IN THE COMMONS. CASE OF THE GENERAL. The charge against the British trawlers is that they fish in German territorial waters. Britain recognises a territorial limit of three miles; and this is understood to be the distance recognised by Germany. But while British trawling captains allege that they observe the limit, the Germans reply that the British trawlers' charts are obsolete.

The caso of the Taurus was before the House of Commons in May, when Sir Edward Grey (Secretary for Foreign Affairs) referred to the Flerisborg trial reported above. In answer to a question, lie said:—The British Vice-Consul at Cuxhaven has reported the seizure of a Grimsby fishing boat, the Taurus, by a German torpedo-boat, on a charge' of fishing in Gorman territorial waters. I am informed that tho master and mate of this ship were subjected to a judicial examination before the local Court at Cuxhaven on the 16th inst., and as neither could sufficiently clear himself of the charges brought against him the master was kept under arrest pending his transfer to Flensborg for trial by a higher Court. Both men have, however, now been released on bail. The fish and fishing gear of the Taurus were confiscated by the German authorities, but the ship has now returned with-the master .and mate to Grimsby. Ho should be kopt informed of what the evitlenco given at the trial was. Ho had not heard that the German Government evor claimed more thdn thfee miles, but certainly our principle was that we only recognised three miles [of territorial wators. j Jeffs Brothers, of Grimsby; have complained •to the Foreign Office respecting the alleged 'illegal arrest of 'their trawler' General, and illegal imprisonment of the skipper. Mr. Crimnier. In May, while' the General was steaming to Ymuiden. she was; it was stated, peremptorily stonped by the German cruiser Zieten. The trawler, it is declared, Was then soven miles off the German coast, with the gear stowed away, but, despite protestations, tho General was ordered. to precede the gunboat to Cuxhaven, and a German officer took charge for navigation purposes. At Cuxhaven, after 2t hours' detention, tho skipper was released, without apology. The Germans declined to allow thoskipner to ice his fish, the consequence being that a large portion went bad, and about ,£IOO was Inst in the sale of the catch at Ymuiden. It is stated, that , the German Court dismissed the case against tho Gonoral, "for want of evidence." lit was reported in June that tli'e- English steam trawler Margate, of Grimsby, fhad been stopped by. the German torpedo r boat 542. and' (hat the captain had been arrested. In tho same month the trawlers-Arched and Eennor' received the same treatment. Generally they, are taken to Cuxhaven, tho fish seized, and a fine imposed. In April Britain sei7.ed_ two French trawlers for fishing inside the British territorial limit, and they wore fined at Dover.