BRITISH ACTION JUSTIFIABLE

Southland Times, Issue 24055, 20 February 1940, Page 5

BRITISH ACTION JUSTIFIABLE

AMERICAN COMMENT ON ALTMARCK JURISTS HOLD NORWAY AT FAULT OUTCKIES CAUSE SARDONIC SMILES (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received February 19, 11.55 p.m.) NEW YORK, February 19. While the State Department declines to comment on the Altmarck incident as American interests are not involved, unofficial Washington opinion agrees that Britain has tenable grounds in international law to support her action. Leading jurists declare that Norway was at fault in not determining the true status of the Altmarck and freeing the prisoners. They cited the Appam case in 1916 in which the United States was forced to free 429 British prisoners taken to Newport News aboard a liner captured by a German raider. Mr J. W. Gerard the former Ambassador to Germany, said: “Just suppose the Altmarck put into New York harbour; would we have stood for it?” The New York Herald Tribune says: “Norway of course, is protesting with

one eye on Germany, but none outside Germany is really profoundly shocked. Many Americans are not repressing sardonic smiles at the German outcries.” The New York Times says: “Few incidents of the war surpass for sheer dramatic interest the Cossack’s rescue. The Norwegians’ failure to discover the prisoners is incredible, but it is conceivable that the unhappy Norwegian Government was acting on German pressure. This is the only explanation, too, for Sweden’s refusal to allow the passage of foreign troops to Finland.” BRITAIN CRITICIZED The President of Parliament (Monsieur C. J. Hambro) in an interview declared that the British action was the most flagrant violation of the territory of any neutral in this war. “It is more serious than we experienced from the German sea war against which united neutral action will now be postponed. We are on the eve of concluding a trade agreement with Britain but there is reason to fear that the Cossack obtained the result for which the German Navy has striven in vain for months—the stopping of Norwegian ships going to England. The discussion on AngloNorwegian trade and shipping has obviously entered a new stage.” Broadcasting from Washington, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Senator Key Pittman) said that it may become necessary for the United States to do more than protest against the violation of American rights. He added that if Britain abandoned the practice of taking American ships to control ports there would be no excuse for Germany torpedoing United States ships. NEW ZEALAND PILOT’S GUNS FREEZE R.A.F. PLANE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR (Received February 19, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 18. The guns of a single-seater Royal Air Force aeroplane piloted by a New Zealander, froze after a short burst when the pilot was trailing a Heinkel bomber. The New Zealander, who previously had brought down two Dorniers, hung on to the raider hoping his guns would unfreeze, but the Heinkel rear-gunner opened heavy fire compelling the New Zealander to land with his aeroplane damaged beyond repair. The raider returned to Germany. The Air Ministry states that a Royal Air Force machine failed to return from a reconnaissance flight. A Berlin communique says that a British Bristol Blenheim aeroplane was shot down over the North Sea. French aeroplanes have flown deeply in German territory during the past 24’ hours, according to a Paris message. BRITAIN’S DOLLARS TO BE CALLED UP HOLDINGS ’IN U.S. BOUGHT BY GOVERNMENT (Received February 19, 10.5 p.m.) LONDON, February 18. A Treasury order announces the first call-up of Britain’s 1 dollars. It compels investors in the United Kingdom with holdings in 60 nominated United States railway and industrial undertakings to sell to the Government. It is hoped the investors will reinvest in British Government stocks. It is believed that £24,000,000 is involved. Saturday’s Wall Street prices will be paid exchange four dollars 3J cents. A New York message says that the sequestration of British investors’ holdings in leading American stocks is generally welcomed as it is felt that liquidation by the Bank of England will.be far more orderly than by small holders. There is no hint of a shortage of dollar exchange as the large British balances are constantly replenished by steady sales of gold and securities. The Federal Reserve Board estimates that the Empire’s holdings in good securities in the United States exceed 3,000,000,000 dollars. The Washington correspondent of The New York Times says it is felt that the sequestration of British inholdings in America may portend the expansion of British purchases from the United States.