AMERICAN COLOURS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23471, 7 October 1939, Page 12

AMERICAN COLOURS

FLYING ON MAURITANIA WELL-ACCEPTED PRINCIPLE DECEPTION OF ENEMY .LONDON, Oct. 5 An attempt has been made in a German broadcast to represent as an abuse of a neutral flag the reported flying of the United States flag 011 the Mauretania. It is a well-accepted principle that a ship is justified in flying false colours to deceive the enemy. This is a feature of the naval instructions of- all countries, being supported by leading authorities' on international law. The only limitation to this practice is that a ship must hoist her proper flag before committing an act of hostility. In connection with the German threat to regard the British merchantmen as warships, a distinction between armed merchant cruisers and defensively armed merchant ships is emphasised here, says a British official wireless message. According to recognised law, the latter may not take the offensive against a U-boat, but can only evade or avoid capture, and cannot be regarded as warships. On the other hand, once armed merchant cruisers are commissioned as vessels of war tliev are entitled to engage in offensive belligerent operations, but lose the status of merchant ships.