The Gisborne Herald. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES.” TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 5, 1939. HOW HUNS MAKE WAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20034, 5 September 1939, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES.” TUESDAY. SEPTEMBER 5, 1939. HOW HUNS MAKE WAR

II is a meloncholy l'act that evidence is not lacking, oven thus early, that Germany intends again to wage war as ruthlessly as she did during the 1914-18 struggle. Once more, the lives of non-combatants of neutral countries, as well as those of the Allied nations, are not safe at her criminal hands. When President Roosevelt requested that all the nations involved in the conflict should assure the world (hat they would not bomb open towns from the air, his actionprompted, as it was, in the interests of humanity—was as timely as it was proper. But it was clearly in vain as far as Germany was concerned. On every hand (outside Germany) endorsement must have been given to President Roosevelt’s plea that the maiming and slaying of defenceless women and children in recent wars had “sickened the hearts of every civilised man , and woman and profoundly shocked the conscience of humanity." True it is that Herr Hitler did join the Allies in giving a “solemn" pledge of his own infamous brand on the matter. His reply, however, was, as usual, belated, and his promise has, already, proved just as worthless as the pledges that he gave to Mr. Chamberlain at Munich. Let I-lerr Hitler's promise to President Roosevelt be given in his own words and then let his actions, within only a matter of hours afterwards, be contrasted with them. "The non-bomb-ing of non-military objectives,” Herr Hitler said, “accords with my own views on the point . . . Already, I have ordered that action (on the part of Germany) shall be restricted to military objectives.” Yet all the reports from Poland already indicate that bombing from the air by Germany has been intensified; that practically every Polish town of any size has been paid unwelcome visits by German bombers; and that, already, the roll of slain or injured non-com-batants in Poland is very substantial:

What must have been noticeable in connection with President Roosevelt’: appeal on behalf of non-combatants—-it could have been directed against Germany alone, and only on account of her shameful disregard of human principles in the first Great War- —was that it omitted a further request that assurances should also be given in regard to the safety of non-combatants especially women and children, travelling on the high seas. Maybe, President Roosevelt reckoned that Germany had, previously, adequately pledged herself to conduct submarine warfare in another war only on the humane basis laid down in the London Naval Treaty of 1930. Following the signing of the Anglo-German Naval Treaty of 1935. Germany, it may be recalled, agreed to adhere to the rules in question even to this extent: that she would accept them for herself, irrespective of whether they were accepted by other nations! President Roosevelt was altogether too trusting in the matter. He seems to have overlooked the fact that, not long back, Germany denounced the AngloGerman Naval Treaty—why she did so is now only too plain—and would consider that, on that account, she wa: no longer bound even to honour hei pledge that she would never again conduct submarine warfare inhumanely. The threat to American citizens in the Athenia disaster must have meant bitter disillusionment for President Roosevelt, and it comes as nc surprise that; to-day, the United State: is profoundly stirred by a nation-wide wave of indignation against Germany, Even if rules had never been framed to govern submarine warfare, any U-boat commander with a spark oi humanity in his make-up would nevci have attacked a liner so far from land that it would be doubtful whether all her passengers could be landed in her lifeboats safely. But the German officer who torpedoed the Athenia did not regard it as necessary on his part even to issue a warning of his vile intention to take a “sitting shot” at her!

Compared with the slaying of the innocent non-combatants that were ‘aboard ■ her, the destruction of the Athcnia was only# a very small matter. But how does this ruthless crime square with Herr Hitler’s false pretence that he had given orders to his commanders (presumably he intended that it should be believed that he meant all his commanders, in-especr live of the branch in which they served) (hat all attacks should be restricted lo military objectives? It cannot be pleaded by Germany that the liner was carrying munitions' or

troops to the Allies seeing that, as a matter of fact, she was outward bound lo Canada with 1400 passengers, including a large number of Americans who were ileoing to their homes from the scene of pending carnage in Europe. The United Stales authorities cannot do less than energetically protest against the hideous outrage. They have never forgotten (and will never forget) the brutal sinking, in equally lawless circumstances, of the ginpt liner Lusitania, by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, off the Irish coast, with the loss of 1400 non-combatants (including many women and children) of whom one hundred were American citizens. It was, without a shadow of doubt, that horrible crime that led, eventually, to the United States joining the Allies against Germany. The laying of mines by Germany in the

North Sea and- in the Baltic —a neutral vessel has already been lost as a result—is just a further example of how the Huns made war in 1914-18 and is ample proof that they have no scruples about reviving those barbaric methods of warfare now in the hope that they may be of even greater avail during the present struggle. But. once again, British mercantile ships (the convoysystem is very wisely to be re-intro-duced) will not be held back in port and, once more, British crews will refuse to be intimidated!