The Farmington times., 1917-03-23
MINES VS.. SUBMARINES


Great Britain has established an in
tensified mine zone in the North Sea
fronting the coasts of Denmarck
Germany and Holland.
The whole of the North Sea was de
clared war area by Great Britain il
November, 1914, from which neutra
vessels were warned because of the
mines that she had laid.
The new zone is, therefore, mere.
ly an intensification of the old area
mach as the new German submarine
blockade is an intensification of the
original barred area announced on
February, 1915.
1t is known, of course, that the
British mine blockade of Germany and
neighboring neutrals was established
months before Germany proposed her
submarine blockade of England. 1t is
not so we'll known that Great Britain's
intensified war zone was also declared
prior to Germany's announcement of
her intensified submarine policy.
The truth is that not until days af-
ter the German wireless brought
America the news of Great Britain's
latest enlargement of neutral COM
merce, did the British Government
choose to inform the United States of
the intensification of its mine block
ade in the waters of Denmark, Ger
many and Holland.
In any event, Great Britain stands
convicted not only of being the first
among the European belligerents to
establish a zone in which neutral YES
sells are sunk without warning but of
being the first to intensity such zone
after lapse of more than two years.
In each case, Germany did not set
the Example, she merely followed the
example of Great Britain in a spirit
of retaliation.
The interesting thing to Americans
at this critical international juncture,
is that President Wilson not only has
never protested against the initial es-
tablishment of Great Britain's illegal
war zone, but has so far taken no cog
nizance of the recent intensifcation of
that zone.
Yet these war zones, in which Brit
ish mines sink without warning, are
even more restrictive of American
even more dangerous to
life and property, even more
violative of international law, than
the German war zones and their prac-
tees.
The silence of the Wilson admins
5ration on the British policy has serv-
ed as warning to American vessels
hat they enter the mined areas at
their own risk; that their "rights"
here will not be protected by the
Government. Hence, after several
American and other neutral ships had
,een sunk in the British zone, shippers
lvoided the area and took to the lane
by Great Britain.
On the other hand, the Wilson ad-
immediate reputation
# the German war areas (eve before
he first went into effect) on the
,round that the submarine, following
he example of the British mines,
we're disinclined to give warnings, has
American shipping to en-
er the danger zone and brave de-
truction because the government
their rights"
If this assertion of our neutral
lights at sea is really a matter of
'rinciple with the American Govern
nent, if it is not merely asserted for
he benefit of one group of belliger-
nts, what possible excuse can the
wilson administration have for not
proceeding just as drastically and ul-
imately against Great Britain today
or the intensification of her mine
lockade of Germany and neutral
tates, as it has proceeded against J
for her intensified submarine '
lockade against England and her al
es milwaukee Free Press. t