GERMAN PRIVATEERS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2221, 6 August 1914, Page 7

GERMAN PRIVATEERS

- A POSSIBLE MENACE I )RGE FLEET ON OUR TRAOE ROUTES THE SAFEST WAY HOME "There is now good reason to believe that a considerable number of.'foreign merchant steamers niay.be rapidly converted into armed ships by the mounting-of- guns."—Mr. Church,. ill, in the House of Commons, March 27, 1913. ". ' • ' l it is not generally' realised that armed German liners may ; constitute'a serious menace to British merchant vessels-on exposed sea routes during the first few weeks 1 of. the war. Germany has steadily maintninea- that it' is a justifiable proceeding to convert ft peaceful trading ship intojin armed cruiser on the high .seas, and there is good reason to believe that .at least every mail steamer, of any consequence of the Hamburg-America and North German Lloyd Lines carries guns in her holds ready to be mounted and dismounted'as required. The danger to British shipping from this source was dealt with by Cpmmander Dowar in the Gold Medal Naval Erize Essay of tho Royal United Service Institution in 1913. Commander Dewar wrote:— "The Hamburg-America and Norddeutscher Lloyd own io less than 40 per cent, of the total shipping of the Empire, and are loyal supporters of -Article. 23 of the German Law of, Juno 13, 1873, by which shipowners must place their -vessels at the'disposal of the Government from the date of mobilisation for war. Companies, too, which, recoivc mail subsidies, must be completely manned, both on deck and below, by officers and men who have ; served in tho-German-Imperial Navy, or • by German subjects who have agreed to serve,..in tho event of the 6hip being" ro- ; qmsjtioned by; the Government. Presumably this applies to tho whole- of the Ham burg-America® and Norddeutecher Lloyd Lines! Germany stoutly asserts hot i right to convert merchant ships into men-of-war on the high seas, and tho effectiveness of such policy will largely depend upon the training and discipline.of the personnel. A couple of 12-pounders are easily stowed, and can be quickly mount-, ®d, and they are . just as effectivo for holding up an unarmed nierchantinan' as' a couple of 12-in. The difficulty of disposing of the prizes can/be settled by a' tin of gun-cotton in the bilges.'. .. ' . . "The German merchant marine is available as a' weapon of war,.and being large- ; Iy centralised in ono or two hands is much more closely allied to the Navy than .is the case.with our own far-flung merchant fleet." German Liners at Sea. A full list of the German,mail liners' which according to th,c latest sailing lists aud shipping advices are in the vicinity of British and Australian trade routes to Britain at the present moment appears below. It will be seen, that many large ami speedy craft, numbers of which will no doubt form valuable prizes for Britain later on. The position is as follows:—.. In South Atlantic U '18 ' In Rod Seaind Indian Ocean 8 In Far Eastern waters ;'.VS In Australasian, waters ......... .3 1! ,' " ',-si "The'proper reply to an armed merchantman," Mr. Churchill has declared, "is another merchantman armed in lior own defence." Tho Admiralty in the last year or two has in consequence been aiTn.iiij. vessels carrying food cargoes to Britain each with two 4.7-incn guns placed at the stern, and useful solely'for defending the ship when pursued,.,. Seven New Zealand traders are thus armed. They are the Athenic, Corinthic, lontc, Zealandic, Tainoi ( JlOrarata, and Rotorua, Arming'fit Sea. / The whole object of the.German plan of arming, liners on the., high 'seas is to ■giro the ship a double "character. Sh'o can be at will either a-peaceful trader or a privateering. cruiser. A cruiser,-how-over, is not allowed to stajv in a neutral part for mor() than a very limited period, usually put at twenty-four hours, and this is a grave disadvantage to a nation like Germany, without many overseas coaling stations. This drawback is got over it the ship iB a peaceful trader when it enters- a neutral port,.for it can then remain as long as it likes, take in what 6torc3 it. pleises;. and while in port canjiot be attacked by a cruiser of tho enemy without a-violation'of the law of neutrals ity. This enables Germany to use any neutral .port, such as the ports of South America, Java, Portuguese Africa, etc.', as excellent bases from which t(. coal her armed mcrchantment. Generally- her operations would assuredly be stopped, but tho practice, if adopted, might easily prove troublesome for British .traders for some time. - " How' New Zealand is Affected, To realise the position 60 far as Now Zealand'is concerned, should Germany pursue tho plan she is understood to have laid down, take a map of the. world, figure'out the two main trade routes between England, and New Zealand,; and thon look^closer into the atlas, and ascertain what' nations own the way - ports. For example, every vessel loading meat, dairy produce, and. wool in this country proceeds to London via Cape Horn,, and from the • time 1 -it leaves our ports, until it sights the south coast of England, does not see or touch British territory.'. Of course there are noutral ports in plenty on the west coast' of South America, Punta Arenas, Monte Video, Buenos Aires, Rio m 'Janeiro; Madeiro, and the ports of Spain, , and those are as open to British ships a 9 they aro to foreign, but a yessd laden, with frozen produce can hardly afford-to dally by the way. She must push On to. her destination with all' • possible dispatch, for her: cargo will. ■ be urgently needed.' But .the neutral portß which may ■shelter Bri+ish ; merchantmen ■_ may also shelter Gorman merchantmen, ready to as ioon as they sro on tho high seas. The Capo Route.' ( . : What route, then, should our mor-" charitmen take in making for. the Old Country ? Some of tho . local managers stated yesterday- that the matter had not come up for consideration/ and was ono on whioh-\they would be advised from London. So far no advice "had been received, and it was assumed'that vessels leaving for London would go via Ca-ge Horn (as usual) 'until other- orders were received.' : . ; . . It has been suggested that, the snipping heads might do well to consider 1 tho point raised, It is. pointed out that Uie Cane of Good Hopo route ;,is f.taddejl with British, ports, while lieutral ports ; are few." and far between. The' prevailing winds in- tho Sonthern 'Ocean aro against this route, but. that drawback is not one to be weighed in tho bal&nco if tho route jiromises greater safety. Leaving Wellington steamers Hom'cward-bound would pass alone tho south coast-of Australia, steam a little north to avoid the full vigor of tho prevailing westerlies, and pass _ within' neighbourly distances oi Mauritius, Durban, Cape Town, and then, passing up tho West Coast of Africa, there is St. Helena, Sierre Leon#,. Gibraltar. On this route, too, neutral ports aro notably . scarcfl and distant. There is Delagoa Bay (Lorenzo. Maraues), which is Portuguese, territory, and 500 miles off tho route, tho roadsteads of German East Africa and West Africa, , and then none up till Madeira, and the Spanish and. Portuguese ports. The list of British merchant vessels now between Britain and New Zealand, and the Gorman mail, liners on Our principal trada routes, , aro shown below :— SOUTH ATLANTIC NEW ZEALAND TRADERS. lonic, 12,332 tons, 13 knots, arn)ed;-S.S.A., duo Monte Video, from Wellington, August 5. Rimutaka, 795?, tons, 13 knots, N.Z.S. Go. " between Monte video and Tenoriffe.: Durham, 57(50 tons, 11 knots, F. a'nd S., between Tenerillo and Las Palmas. Rotorua, 11, .30 tons, U lynots, armed, nearing Monto Video." . . Kaipara, 7392 tons, 13 knots, N.Z.S, Co.; between Mouto 'Video and Teneriffe. Whakatane, 5734 tons; 11 knots, N.Z.S. Co., bebroeu Monte Video and Gib- < .faltar. Waiwera, 0237 tons; 12 knots, S.S.A.,uear-

ing Monto Video, from Wellington. Indrabarah, 7395 tons, 13 knots, C. and D., nearing Monte Video, from Lyttclton. Pakeha, 10,481 tons', 13} knots,'S.S.A., left London July 31 for Cape Town. Corinthic, 12,231 tons, 13 knots, armed, left Tencriffo July 31 for Cupe Town. Indralema, 6609 tons. 11 knots, 0. and D., left New York July 27 for New Zealand. Surrey, 5890 tons, 11 knots, F. and S., between 'Penerift'o and Cape Town. Star of Victoria, 11,500 knots, C. nrnl D., left London July 31, for Australia and New Zealand. . . GERMAM MAIL LINERS. Gotha, 0653 tohs, 12 knots, N.D.L., at Monte Video, August i. Sierra Cordoba (new ship), N.D.L., to leave Buenos Ayres, August 18. _ Sierra Nevada (new ship), N.D.L., Madiera, August 7,' from Baenos Ayres. Sierra Salvada' (new ship), N.D.L., probably off Spanish coast, bound to . '■ Buenos Ayres. Koenig Wilholm 11., 9410 tons, 15J_knots, H.A., at Monte Video, 'August 5. Cape Finisterre, 14,503 tons, 17 knots, H.A, . left Rio August 4. • • Blucher, 12,334 tons, IGJ knots, H.A., between Rio and Lisbon. Cap Orteyal, r BIB tons, 14 knots, H.A.', at Lisbon, August 5. • " . Cap-Finisterre, 14,503 tons, 17 knots, H.A;,. to leave- Southampton August 6. Cap Arcona, 9832 tons, 15£ knots, H.A., left Lisbon August. 2 for Buenos Ayres. ' ■ Cap Vilano,- 9U7 ,tons, 15 knots, left Lisbon July 20 for Buenos Ayres. Cap Trafalgar, 14,503 tons, 17 knots, H.A., • left Lisbon July 19 for Buenos Ayres. Prinzregent, 6600 tons, 14 knots, D.0.A., leaves Las Palmas for Swakopmund, i August 6. , Gertrud Woerman, 7500 tons, (?) U knots (?), D.0.A., left Swakopmund for Las Palmas July 30. Adolph V/cermun, 7400 tons (?) 13 knots D.0.A.,. to leave Southampton for Lisbon, August 3. • ■ ' Professor Woermsnn, 6000 tons, 13 knots, W., due Sierra Leone Angus'". G. Henry Woiemann, GOG 2 tons, 13 knots, . W., due Palmas from Sierra Leone, August 7. Eleonore Woemann; 5100 tons, 13 knots. W„ arrive Duala, Cameroons, August, INDIAN OCEAN NEW ZEALAND TRADERS. . Kaikoura, 8703 tons, 13 knots, N.Z.S. Co., left Durban July 30 for Auckland and Wellington. „ Remuera, 11,276 tons, 14 knots, N.Z.S. Co., left Cape Town July 31 for Hobart. Rangatira, 10,118 tons, 131 knots, S.S.A., , left Capb Town July 25 for Australia . 'and New Zealand. • Matatua, 7399 tons, 13 knots, S;S.A., bc- . tween Cape Town and Australia. Hawke's Bay, 10,641 tons, 12J knots, C. and D., left Cape Town July 10 for New Zealand. ' Star of Auitralia, 6179 tons, 12 knots, C. and D., between Cape Town and Melbourne." . Anglo-Egyptian, 7400 tons, 121 knots, left - Cape Town July 23, for Australia and New Zealand. GERMAN MAIL LINERS. Tabora, 8100 tons, 15 knots, D.0.A., leaves Mombasa for Aden, August 5. ' Admiral, GGOO tons, 14 knots, D.0.A., • leaves Lorenzo Margies for Bpira, Au-. gust 5. Kronprinz, 6300 tons, 13 .knots, D.0.A., to leave Durban for East London, August 5. Feldmarsehalo, . ; GSOO tons, 14 • knots, D.0.A., : due Zanzibar, August 8. General, 8100 tens, 15 knots; D.0.A., left Suez for Aden, August 3. Prince E, Friedrich, 8797 tons, 15 knots, N.D.L., due Colombo from Shanghai, 'August IG. Bulow, 89G5 tons, knots, N.D.L., arrived Colombo, August 8, from Aden. Kl?ist, 6959 tons, 141 knots, N.D.L., left . Colombo for Aden, August 2. FAR EAST GERMAN MAIL LINERS. Yorck, 8909 tons, 14S ;knots, 'N.D.L:, aiv: I' rived Yokohama,"August 2. Prinzess Alice, 10,981 tons, 15J knots, N.D.L.i duo. Hong ICong, August 5. Prlnz Waldemar, 3227 tops, 13 ■ knots, N.D.L., arrived Hong Kong July 18, ' from: Sydney. . Rhelnland, 0163 tons, 'H.A 1 ., left Fremantle July 24, for Colombo. Roon, 8133 tons, ,141 knots, N.D.L., due Frema'ntle from Colombo August 10. Zieten, 806G tons, 141 knots, N.D.L., duo Aden from Sydnc# August 6. SOUTH PACIFIC , BRITISH TRADERS TO NEW ' ZEALAND. Athenic, 12,234 tons. 13 knots, armed, ; S.S.A., due Hobart August s. y Karamea, 5564 tons, 12 knots, S.S.A., arrived Melbaurne from Capetown August 5. Turaklna, 8349 tons, 13 knots, N.Z.S.C., left Wellington July 30 for Monte 1 Video. Kent, 5527 tons, 11" knots, F. and S., left -, Wellington July .22 for Boston. ' . GERMAN MAIL LINERS. ' Seydlitz, 7964 tons, 141 knots, N.D.L., left Sydnoy, August' 3. Goblenz, 3200 tons 12 knots, N.D.L., left Sydney for Hong Kong July 25. , Prinz Sigismund, 3302 tons, 12 knots, N.D.L.,' left Caroline Islands, for Sydney July 18. . ', Key to Companies.—C. and D., Commonwealth.and Dominion Line; D.0.A., German. East African Line; F. and S., Federal and Shirei H.A.,, HamburgAmerican; N-D.L., North German Lloyd.; N.Z.S. (So.. New Zealand Shipping Company, S.S.A., Shaw, Savill, iind Albion Co.