Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-11-06
Great Britain Warns
Merchant Ships.
MINES IN ABUNDANCE
Admiralty viii Issue Directions
to Neutral Vessels.

London, Nov. 3.-The entire North
sea has been declared military area
and merchant vessels entering 1t will
be exposed to the gravest dangers
from mines and from the warshtps
which are searching vigilantly by
night and day for suspicious shipping
craft. This action has been taken as
a reply to the alleged laying of mines
by the Germans in the waters north OF
Ireland
The secretary of the admiralty made
the following announcement Of the
virtual closing of the North sea to
traffic:
During the last week the Germans
have scattered mines indiscriminately
in the open sea on the main trade
route from America to Liverpool via
the north of Ireland.
Peaceful merchant ships already
have been blown up with loss OF life
by this agency. The White Star
liner Olympic escaped disaster by pure
good luck and but for warnings given
by British cruisers other British and
neutral merchant and passenger YES
sells would have been destroyed.
Ship Flying Neutral Flag.
"These mines cannot have been laid
by any German ship of war. They
have been laid by some merchant YES
sci flying neutral flag which has
come along the trade route as II for
purposes of peaceful commerce and
while profiting to the full OF the I'M
munity enjoyed by neutral ships wan
tonly and recklessly has endangered
the lives of all who travel the sea.
I'm these Circumstances, having re-
gard to the great interests 1ntrusteo
tc the British navy to the safety OF
peaceful commerce on the high seas
and to the maintenance within the
limits of international law of trade
between neutral countries, the admi
rally feel it necessary to adopt ex
ceptional measures, appropriate to the
novel conditions under which this wal
is being waged.
"Notice therefore is given that the
whole of the North sea must be con
sidered military area. Within this
area merchant shipping of all kinds
traders of all countries, fishing craft
and all other vessels will be exposed
to the gravest dangers from mines
which it has been necessary to lay
n VII
ly by night and day for suspicious
craft.
Warning to Neutral Vessels.
"All merchant and fishing vessels OF
every description are hereby warned
of the dangers they encounter by en-
tering this area, except in strict &C
cordance with admiralty directions
Every effort will be made to convey
this warning to neutral countries and
and to vessels on the sea, but from
Nov. 5 on the admiralty announces
that all ships passing a line drawn
from the northern point of the Heb
rides through the Farce islands to
Iceland do SO at their peril.
"Ships of all countries wishing to
trade to and from Norway, the Baltic
Denmark and Holland are advised to
come, if inward bound, by the Eng
lish channel and the Straits Of Dover
There they will be given sailing direc
lions which will pass them safely sc
far as Great Britain is concerned. uE
the east coast Of England to Farne
island, whence a safe route will, II
possible, be given to Lindesnas light
house.
From this point they should turn
north or south, according to theil
destination, keeping as near the coast
as possible. The converse applies to
vessels outward bound"