LATEST WARNING TO NEUTRALS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21595, 5 March 1940, Page 5

LATEST WARNING TO NEUTRALS

Unlikely To Impress United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, March 3. The German warning to neutrals not to use the British navicert system continues to attract attention hr the press which, however, is convinced that these attempts at sheer intimidation are unlikely to impress neutral countries. It is already apparent that in those countries there is no lack of appreciation of the legal position in which the system of navicerts was adopted. Navicerts are, in fact, no more than an assurance from the British authorities that cargoes covered by them are not likely to meet with difficulties when stopped by British control vessels. The system has been established purely to assist neutrals. It is not compulsory and those who do not like it always have the alternative of diversion to a control base. German Claims False Dealing with the German claim that since the war started German naval forces had waged economic warfare exclusively in accordance with the prize regulations, the Ministry of Economic Warfare comments: "We are not so much concerned with German prize regulations as with international law. with which they are in some marked respects at variance. Moreover, the Germans repeatedly violated their own prize regulations.” Neither Germany’s claim to declare the waters round the British Isles as dangerous to shipping nor German threats can absolve them from the duty of submitting any merchantmen encountered. whether British or neutral, to the proper routine of stopping and investigation. The obligation on the German Government to publish and accurately define any areas which may be rendered dangerous by German mines cannot be evaded. Advice To Oil Companies The Washington correspondent of the "New York Times’’ says the British Embassy has advised oil companies to refrain from shipping oil to Holland, Belgium and Denmark unless they are willing to face indefinite delays at contraband control points. The Embassy pointed out that the stocks of these neutrals were abnormally high, thus a potential source of German supply. Rationing in Turkey

The Turkish Government has decided to Introduce food rationing, beginning with sugar.