Sea Harvest “Must Be Reaped”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21508, 22 November 1939, Page 7

Sea Harvest “Must Be Reaped”

Nazi Attacks on Maritime Lanes Can Do Nothing About Nentrals United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received November 21, 11.36 p.m.) LONDON, November 21. A BROADCAST in English from the Hamburg, ** Cologne and Zeesen stations said that Germany’s aim is to strike at her foes in maritime waters. Britain is not in a position to make British waters safe either for her own or neutral ships. Germany regrets if the results are rather sad for neutrals, but can do nothing about it. The harvest of the sea must be reaped. Britain started the war but is unable to run it in the way anticipated by London. The “National Zeitung” says that Britain is using neutral ships as spearheads in defence of her territorial waters. Germany regrets this as five neutrals have already been its victims but is unable to alter it.

According to a message from the Hague, the “Handelsblad” says: “Holland has lost as many lives in this war as the losses on the whole of the Western Front. We do not know whether Anglo-German mines sank the Simon Bolivar, but Holland feels only the deepest gratitude for British rescue efforts and the loving care extended to the rescued." Official circles are amazed to find that the latest German list of liners allegedly armed to resist U-boats included the Veendam, about which they are indignantly protesting to Germany.

Four British ships and four belonging to neutral Powers were destroyed by enemy action during the week-end. German mines sank the Swedish steamer B. O. Borjesson (1586 tons), the British steamer Blackhill (2492 tons), the collier Torchbearer (1267 tons), and the trawler Wigmore (354 tons), the Italian steamer Grazia (5857 tons), and the Yugoslav steamer Carica Milica (6371 tons) off the east coast of England in similar circumstances to the loss of the Dutch liner Simon Bolivar. The British steamer Pensllva (4258 tons) was sunk by enemy action, but the manner of sinking has not been disclosed. The Lisbon correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain, states that passengers in the Netherlands liners Oranje, Jan Pieterszoon. and Johan Dewitt, en route to Holland, were told to disembark owing to the increasing danger in the North Sea. The Netherlands press refrains from commenting on the Simon Bolivar disaster. It pays a tribute to the British rescue work and speedy help. It also prints fully the British statement that a German mine caused the disaster. The Simon Bolivar’s London agents give the latest list of presumed casualties at 86. Neutrals Concerned The Copenhagen correspondent of “The Times” says that Denmark anxiously received news of the weekend sinkings as a result of ruthless mine warfare. The Minister of Trade (M. Kjaerbol) warned Danish ships bound for England not to go south of Newcastle without fresh instructions. Several German mines which have broken loose during storms exploded on coming ashore. An Oslo newspaper declares that the time has come for neutral countries to co-operate and clarify the position of their shipping under the new German tactics. The loss of sixteen members of the crew of the trawler Wigmore is confirmed, leaving twenty-one children fatherless. The skipper. Captain Walter Bore, leaves a widow and five children, and a deck hand, Clayton, leaves six children, of whom the eldest daughter, who is engaged to be married, acted as mother. The dead skipper’s brother, John, reported the loss of the Wigmore from a northern port. Ordeal for Tanker’s Survivors Twelve survivors of the torpedoed Norwegian tanker Arne Kjode have been landed at a British port. Seventeen members of the erew escaped from the sinking ship, and were fiftyfive hours in an open boat before an aeroplane sighted them and brought a rescue ship. Twice their frail boat capsized. The first time, they lost all their food, and lived for two days on a tew drops of water. The second capsize drowned four, and as they were being taken aboard the rescue vessel another sailor died. Another British Ship Sunk The British steamer Arlington Court of 4815 tons has been sunk by a submarine off the Irish Coast. The Netherlands vessel Algenib rescued 22 members of the crew of whom the chief engineer died aboard a lifeboat Eleven members of the crew are nlssing. The Arlington Court’s survivors landed at an Eire port early this morning. Most of them were injured, several being stretcher cases. They declared that the ship was torpedoed on November 16. They drifted for St days in a lifeboat which was damaged in launching, necessitating continuous baling before being picked up. Minesweeper Strikes Mine It is officially announced that the British minesweeper Mastiff was lost on the east coast as a result of the explosion of a German mine.

NAVY TO CLEAR MINES British Official Wireless RUGBY, November 20. Commc ’ :ng on the sinking of British and neutral vessels over the week-end oy mines, It is confidently stated in London that, without counting the risks they run, the Navy will clear the seas of these mines which have been sown with utter disregard for international law and the dictates of humanity. Interesting light on Germany's attacks on neutral merchantmen is thrown by the Egyption newspaper “Albalagh,” which points out that the purpose is less to deprive the .'.Hies of certain raw materials than to compel the neutrals to s-U their products to Germany despite the fact that she is not prepared to pay cash. The argument is regarded here as particularly forcible, for while it is obvious that Germany cannot maintain an effective blockade, she may hope, by this means, to force neutrals to supply her with joth essential supplies and surpluses for re-export without loss to Germany of scarce foreign currency.