The Waikato Times TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1940 NAVY TAKES IMPORTANT STEP

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21043, 20 February 1940, Page 4

The Waikato Times TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1940 NAVY TAKES IMPORTANT STEP

One of the most thrilling episodes of the war, the rescue of over 300 British prisoners from the German auxiliary raider Altmarck in Norwegian neutral waters, may have far-reaching repercussions. The British naval action lias solved the mystery of the Admiral Graf Spee’s supply ship, saved hundreds of British seamen from a shocking fate, exposed the illegal use of neutral waters by Germany and posed one of the neatest problems of international law so far experienced. The incident has aroused a sense of “justice done” in Britain, created hysterical rage in Germany and caused all neutral countries to ponder their privileges and obligations as neutrals during the clash of war among great Powers.

Germany has protested to Norway and Norway has protested to Britain, but the British authorities are confident that right is on their side. Germany deliberately deceived the neutral State by declaring there were no British prisoners aboard the Altmarck. In allowing the raider to proceed Norway was unwittingly committing a breach of the law, which should have set the belligerent prisoners free immediately they entered the neutral zone. The Norwegians had searched the Altmarck, but the Germans had cunningly succeeded in hiding the prisoners. Even if the Norwegians were not negligent they nevertheless failed to comply with the law and allowed Germany to make illegal use of neutral waters—use which Germany has apparently been exploiting throughout the war. Germany’s rage can be understood, but her case in international law looks singularly weak. Norway’s protest also is surely futile, for it is based on her own failure to comply with the law. That it should be necessary for British warships to enter the territorial waters of neutral countries under any circumstances is regrettable, but Germany by hoodwinking and bullying the small neutral countries has left no alternative. The law cannot be expected to restrict one and not the other of the belligerents. Germany sees the possible closing of the channel through which there has already been too much illegal traffic, for it can be taken for granted that Norway in future will make a much more thorough search of suspected ships. Other neutral countries also are anticipating developments in the conduct of their dealings with the belligerent countries. Britain does not ask special favours, but she does ask that the neutrals should apply the law without discrimination. It is not improbable that elsewhere the few German raiders that have been at large have violated the law as they have done in Norway and hoped, like the famous raider Wolf in the last war, to return with their spoil and their prisoners to Germany. The circumstances of the Altmarck do indeed bear a remarkable resemblance to those of the Wolf, but the journey’s end has been robbed of a similar triumph. All nations

will watch the unfolding of the remainder of this story with exceptional interest.