SUBMARINE BAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23946, 23 October 1939, Page 7

SUBMARINE BAN

UNITED STATES’ WATERS RETICENCE OF PRESIDENT REFERENCE TO ARMED SHIPS NEW YORK, Oct. 21. (Received Oct. 22, at 6.30 p.m.) President Roosevelt refused to discuss what would happen to a belligerent submarine within the limit set and refused to reveal the orders given to the navy and army, except the instructions to do whatever was necessary rigidly to enforce the- proclamation. The President declared that the ban was not intended to define the United States’ territorial waters. The United States Government would continue to assert its jurisdiction as far seawards as its interests required. Asked whether he had considered the banning of armed merchantmen, President Roosevelt replied: “They and submarines must be considered separately.” , Despite reminders that the same section of the Neutrality Act empowered action in reference to armed merchantmen, President Roosevelt repeated that they were in entirely different categories. He declined to give reasons for the differentiation. The President earlier explained that the submarine ban envisaged territorial waters to the three-mile limit, but he insisted that it was flexible, and could vary up to 200 miles, depending on the circumstances under which the limit was created. The President declined to discuss the possibility of placing the same ban on surface warships. He said that submarines and warships were not alike. President Roosevelt said he had no indications that other Pan-American countries would follow the submarine ban. South American States It is announced that the Argentine is allowing belligerent submarines to remain in her territorial waters for 24 hours for fuel and supplies. A message from Santiago quotes the Foreign Office as stating that Chile does not distinguish between surface warships and submarines, thus belligerent submarines will continue to be granted port facilities, a requirement being that they remain no longer than 24 hours. ECUADOR’S DECREE QUITO, Oct. 20. The President issued a decree in accordance with the Panama Declaration, defining a safety zone extending for 500 miles out to sea, including the Galapagos. The patrol methods are not explained. Ecuador has one gunboat and a few coastguard cutters.