The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-09-09
SWEDISH WATERS
GET PROTECTION
NAVY Is KEPT BUSY WATCHING
FOR VIOLATIONS OF
NEUTRALITY

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Aug. g.
The fear expressed in government
circles here that belligerent naval
operations in the Baltic this sum-
mer would place a heavy burden
upon the neutrality of Sweden
seems to have been amply Justified
by the events of the past lew weeks.
The Swedish navy, small but eff
cient, has worked night and day
to keep the territorial waters free
of infringement, but despite this
V GLANCE submarines and stealthy
d~estroyers of the warning powers
have slipped into the tbree-mile
limit and stolen away with a prize.
Germany has been the chief Often
der of late but the Russians were
guilty of p%oaching earlier in The
summer and still hold two German
steamers taken within the three-
mile limit, despite the protests of
the Swedish government.
The Germans seem to have adop-
ted the practice of capturing a
ship, taking off such supplies as
they need, and then releasing the
vessel with a polite apology. Re-
Gently a Swedish ship, the Oscar
11.-not the ark of peace but a
tidy little white steamer belonging
to the Svea line-was captured by
a German destroyer and taken to
a German Baltic port. There every
bit of lubricating oil was removed
lowed to proceed. The Germans
naturally expressed their willing
ness to pay for the oil. They would
Fay a fortune to anyone who could
run a cargo of oil past the Bri-
fish blockade,
The incidents of sunk or captured
ships have been many, but there
AVE been far more u%nheraldeil
Instances where raids have been
prevented by the presence of Swell
ish cruisers, d~estroyers and tor
pedo boats. 1t is no easy task TO
patrol a coast line which stretches
from the northern crescent of the
Gulf of b ,rhnia down through rhe
entire length of the Baltic and out
into the Categat, nor is 1t always
possible to "Chaperone" all the mer-
chant ships flying belligerent flags
and seeking the neutral shelter of
the threemile limit.
1T is no strange sight along The
coast to see a German and a Rus
sian ''lugger" churning the waters
size by side, or to see a German
and an English ship pass in the
night without the slightest sign Of
recognition. And it is always safe
to assume that somewhere along
this jagged, rocky coast there is
lurking a spider-like destroyer of
the enemy ready to pounce up
on the steamer the moment 1t may
stray Outside" or sometimes
through over-eagerness to step in
side of the limit and persuade
the richly laden tramp to steer a
little wide" of the dangerous
coast.
There have been numerous in
cidents of late wherein the Swedish
naval vessels have been stripped
for action against belligerent des-
troyers and submarines, and some
of the naval officers here in Stock
holm say they have rather regret
ted it has come to "blows"
for they have had all the drudge1y
or war with zone of the glory.
One of the newest Swedish torpn-
do boats, the Castor, is commanded
by Prince William, second son Of
the king and a very popular young
man. The prince is a great ~favorite
in Stockholm but the duties of the
coast patrol have kept him away
FOR a long time and his slim little
gray vessel has been one of the
chief defenders of Swedish neu-
trality.
An English steamer recently was
making her way out of the Bal
tic when ~accosted by a German des-
troyer. Knowing he was within
the protection of territorial waters
the English captain at first maid
no heed. Then the destroyer Slip
ped to the inside of the cargo yes
sci and in perfectly good English
the German commander directed
the E~nglishman to steer south.
The order was not answered, but
soon the destroyer began to crowd
the merchantmen so it was neces-
sary for him to alter his course
n he ives gradually approaching
the open and unprotected waters
OF the Baltic when the Castor.
with Prince William, full six feet
three, on the bridge, hove in sigl,r.
me Castor came dashing to the
scene, white spray flying from her
clean cut bows.
What is the matter here?" callei