Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-11-18
ALL NORTH SEA IN
THE MILITARY ZONE
Premier Asquith Declares Govern.
ment Has Decided to Declare
Whole Body in War Arena.
OIL AND COPPER CoNTRABAND
Minister bitterly BIaucs Germans
for sowing Mines, Saying Menace
60 Peaceful shipping il
Very treat.

LONDON, Nov. 17.-Premior Asquith
stated in the House OF Commons
today the British government had decided
to declare the whole OF the North Sea
to be in the military area.
All subjects OF the enemy found on neu-
trail vessels, the prime minister also said
would be liable to detention as prisoners
of war
Mr. Asquith also announced that OIL and
copper would he declared yontraDand OF
war.
Referring to mines the premier said
the Germans had rcsorted TO indscrin-
nate mine laying In the North sea with
out regard 10 peaceful shipping and
without warning. The purpose clearly
was the furtherancc of no definite mill
tary operations, but to endanger British
trades. These mines uuquestionably had
been laid by fishing vessels disguised as
neutrals, the premier said. These mines
were not so constructed as to become
harmless when 1ooscd from their moor
ings neither were they kept under OBJ
sorvation. No steps he'd been taken to
warn peaceful shipping Of this danger.
Consequently the terms Of The Hague
convention OF 1907 have been violated
Forced to Act
After q number of neutral fishing aud
merchant vessels and many lives al
been destroyed by these German mines,
Mr. Asquth said, the government had
been forced to adopt counter measures
to cope with this German policy of ninc
laying combined with submarine activi-
ties.
A mine field was therefore laid across
the southern portion of the North sea.
said Premier Asquth lin such a way
as to guard the approaches to the Eng
lish channel Due warning was given in
accordance with The Hague conventions.
In the last week of October the Germans
succeeded in laying a mine field off the
north coast of Ireland, on the main
trade route from America to Liverpool
via the north of Ireland. More peaceful
merchant ships were blown up and more
lives were lost.
These mines could not have been laid
by any German ship of war or by any
vessel flying the German flag. They
could only have been laid by some mer-
chant vessel under a neutral flag, which
must have come along the trade route as
if for the purpose OF peaceful CONNIE rec.
Menace is Great.
The menace to peaceful shipping
presented by these wholly Illegal meth
DDS Of waging war is so great that the
government has been compelled to adopt
the only possible means of protection,
namely, to declare the whole North Sea
Il military area and to restrict all ship
ping crossing it to a narrow passage
along which the strictest supervision can
be exercised. Access TO the coasts of
Great Britain and neutral countries las
thus been made as safe as It is in the
power of the British navy to make It.
His majesty's government Is fully
aware OF the anxiety prevailing in the
y. United States and other neutral coun-
tries on these subjects. but it trusts that
its policy will be fully understood. II is
confident that public opinion in neutral
countries will appreciate its earnest de-
sire that there be no interference with
neutral trade. Any interference by the
British navy is solely to prevent goods
from reaching the enemy which would
increase his power in the war against the
British and allied forces"