GERMAN POLICY AT SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16372, 28 October 1916, Page 6

GERMAN POLICY AT SEA.

The suggestion of Lord Charles Beresford that Germany is seeking to involve the United States in the war has been frequently put forward as an explanation of the illegal activities of German submarines. Its weakness is that if Germany desired to force America to become a belligerent there is open to her tho more direct method of sinking American ships which would be promptly seized and in time would probably be effective. The best evidence that Germany has so far desired to be at peace with the United States is that German submarine commanders are excessively careful not to sink American ships. Another Gulrlight would create a stir in America, and it is quite possible that a few such sinkings would lead to war, however unwilling the United States Government pvlght be to take that course. In the absence of such attacks a more reasonable explanation of recent submarine depredations is that Germany is using American anxiety for peace and American laxity in the enforcement of neutrality laws to put pressure on weaker nations. Norway is being threatened and Norwegian ships are being sunk because there is no refuge for submarines in Norwegian territorial waters. America's hospitality to U53 increases Norway's difficulty in closing her waters to belligerent submarines and makes it easier for Germany to send dictatorial notes to Norway demanding shelter for her submarines and to back tho demand with tho sinking of 22 Norwegian ships in one week, and a veiled threat of war. It would appear that at present Germany is more anxious to bully Norway into conceding bases for hor submarines than to force war upon America..