The sun., 1917-02-17
Shipping Warned of Dam
gers in Wide North
Sea Area.
STATE DEPARTMENT
RECEIVES NOTICE
Move Would Block Practi-
cally Entire Route of
Exit to U-BOats.
EDICT OF JANUARY
NOW SUPERSEDED
Area Believed to Have Been
Literally Strewn With
Explosives.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-Notice of a
dangerous area in the North Sea because
of operations against Germany has been
given by the British admiralty. A copy
of the notice, dated February 13. vas
received at the State Department to-day.
1t warns shipping that after February I
a prescribed area, including all waters
Off Germany and parts of Holland and
Denmark. will be dangerous and should
be avoided. The new notice says:
I'm view of the unrestricted warfare
carried on by Germany at sea by means
of mines and submarines not only
against the allied Powers but also
against neutral shipping and the fact
that merchant ships are constantly sunk
without regard to the ultimate safety of
their crews, his Majesty's Government
gives notice that on and after the eth
OF February. 1917. the mentioned area
in the North Sea will be rendered dam
gerous to all shipping by operations
against the enemy and it should there
fore be avoided"
This move seeks to block pra ctically
the whole route Of exit toward the At
lantic Of the German U-boats from their
bases in Germany and Belgium.
Blocks Exit for U-Boats.
With the English Channel practically
closed by an. elaborate system of nets,
mines and patrols. the means of exit for
the submarines has been through the
route north of Scotland and down the
Irish coast. The new danger zone. de-
signed to close that way out. is under
stood to have been literally strewn with
mines.
The notice. which replaces one issued
To, 41,n Col. =
Dangerous area The area compris-
ing all the water except Netherlands and
Danish territorial waters lying to the
southward and eastward of "A line COM
rEencing four miles from the coast of
Jutland in latitude sc degrees north,
longitude degrees east. and passing
through the following positions: Lati-
tude 81 degrees 45 minutes north. longi-
tude degrees 80 minutes east, thence
to a position in latitude SO degrees q
minutes north, longitude degrees east.
seven miles from the coast Of the Neither
lands.
Line Of safety Indicated.
ITO meet the needs Of the coastal traf-
fic which cannot strictly confine itself to
territorial waters owing to navigation
difficulties IL will be safe to navigate be-
tween the coast Of Jutland and q line
passing through the following positions
, Latitude 56 degrees north. longitude .
degrees east ; latitude 81 degrees 40 min
utes north. longitude degrees east lat.
itude 55 degrees SO minutes north, longi-
tude Z degrees 8 minutes east latitude
80 degrees % minutes north. longitude I
, degrees 45 minutes east latitude So de.
grees l9 minutes north. longitude de.
grees minutes east latitude 90 degrees
% minutes north. longitude 3 degrees lg
minutes east, which is three miles from,
the coast of Fano Islands.
Also a safe passage will be left along
the Netherlands coast southwark OF q
line joining the following positions
Latitude SO degrees 27 minutes north
longitude degrees east latitude SO de.
grees 81 y minutes north. longitude .
| degrees 80 minutes east latitude "a de.
grees "a minutes north. longitude 6 de.
grees east; latitude SO degrees 80 min.
utes north longitude 6 degrees % min.
/ utes east"