SCATTERING MINES AT SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15684, 11 August 1914, Page 8

SCATTERING MINES AT SEA.

PRACTICE NEWIN WARFARE

MATTER FOR THE NATIONS.

THE LOSS OF THE AMPHION.

Times and Sydney Sun Services. (Keoeived August 10, 5.20 p.m.)

London, August 0.

Describing the loss of the British cruiser ■ Amphion, Mr. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, said there had been an indiscriminate use ofymines not connected with military harbours of strategical positions,

" Scattering mines about the seas may destroy, not merely the enemy's vessels or warships," said Mr. Churchill, . " but also peaceful merchantmen travelling under neutral Hags. This use of mines is new in warfare. It deserved to be attentively considered by the nations of the civilised world.

"Tho Admiralty is not alarmed. We have expected a certain number of such incidents, and our arrangements provide for reducing occurrences of the kind to a minimum.

The Amphion, which sank with 130 of her crew, struck a cable connecting two mines, which converged and exploded. The Amphion floated for twenty minutes before sinking.

It is believed that the Koenigen Luise was engaged in mine laying for several days before war was declared.

A convention dealing with the laying of automatic submarine contact mines was adopted by tho Hague Conference of 1907. Its main provisions forbid tho laying of unanchorea automatic contact mines, except when they are so constructed as to become harmless one hour at most after tho person who laid them ceased to control them,* tho laying of anchored auto matic contact mines which do not become harmless as soon as they have broken loose from their moorings; and the laying of automatic contact mines off the coast and ports of the enemy with the sole object of intercepting commercial shipping. Tho convention further provides that when anchored automatic contact mines aro employed, every possible precaution must be taken for the security of peaceful shipping; and the belligerents shall undertake to do their utmost to render tho mines harmless within a limited time, and, should they cease to be under surveillance, to notify the danger zones as soon as military exigencies permit, bv a notice addressed to shipowners, which must also bo communicated to the Governments through the diplomatic channel, j