Norwich bulletin., 1918-03-15


 Danish ships on voyages between Ice land and the Danish mother country entirely outside of the war zone nor upon the muItitudinous mistakes whereby Dutch and other neutral ships clinging to the precarious narrow way left open through the prohibited zone are. torpedoed outside the zone by U- boat commanders, whose word that the vessels were within the zone is later accepted unquestioned by the German prize courts. Prominent ship owners in Scandinavian countries have stated their belief that many sinkings were inspired only by the intention to get rid of neutral tonnage so as to in crease the relative value of German shipping available at the end of the war. Examinations of the captains of torpedoed ships before the marine courts in these countries bear out this belief, the testimony repeatedly show ing that vessels were attacked far out side the zone.
 Food Ships Held Up.
 "The intent of the Germans to pre- vent neutrals receiving food and sup plies under relief agreements con- cluded with the United States is il- lustrated by the German veto placed upon the temporary modus vIvendi with Holland, providing for the pro visioning of that country Two food ships loaded with supplies for The Netherlands along with eleven Belgian relief ships have been waiting in American ports for weeks unable to sail because of the refusal of Ger many to permit an equivalent amount or tonnage leaving Dutch rbors tacs obvious plan of the German authori- ties being to gather all Dutch ships into home harbors and then prevent any of them from sailing by threSts , to torpedo any vessel leaving Holland waters To relieve the food situa- ton in Holland the war trade board has finally authorized the ship ment of the food in question from the two Dutch steamers to the Holland liner Nieuw Amsterdam, which is sail i ing shortly.
 "The present campaign of threats and intimidation against the .Scandi- navian neutrals now carried on in the semi official North German Gazette and other organs of the German press. is obviously intended to frighten the northern neutrals from completing agreements which benefit the neutrals quite as much as the United States and it's associates. 2
 
 Now success of the earnest efforts of the United States government to rush shipments of bread grain to Switzerland is threatened by the ac- i tion of German submarines which, ac- cording to now fully confirmed reports from Switzerland, have made start on new policy of ruthlessness by sinking the neutral Spanish. steamer Sardinero, secured with great difficult ty to carry food to that country. The ltcrpedoing Of the Sardinero, carrying Inearly four thousand tons of cereals for Switzerland, can by no stretch of | the imagination be brought within the scope of Germany's proclaimed sub marine policy, since the vessel was engaged not in an enemy but in a supposedly safe trade for a neutral state, was enroute to a port to which Germany had explicitly promised to leave open safe passage and was torpedoed outside the prohibited zone.
 '4To add to the delfberateness of the offense. the Sardinero was destroyed after the submarine commander had made thorough examination of the ships papers and convinced himself of the nature and destination of. the cargo, so that no plea of mistake can be entered by Germany. The evi- dent intent and result of the act was to prevent Switzerland, whose urgent land immediate need of food is well known to Germany, from receiving the American grain: to destroy Span ish ship for after the war trade and to raise by this much the relative value and importance of each German ship afioat at the end of the war. Swiss American Agreement.
 By the Swiss American agreement of December 5, the allies guaranteed to Switzerland for it's admittedly ur- !, gent needs an eight months supply O 240,000 tons of cereals, subject to thS ] assumption that Germany would safe. conduct the supply ships as specified in it's proclamation on ruthless subma , rining, which provided safe route tt : the Mediterranean port of Cette ana , promised that submarines would no molest such vessels. To accelerate de , livery and provide for immediate ne ) cessities before grain from the Argen ; tine, the natural source of supply could reach Switzerland the war trad ' board even procured from the scant, : supplies in this country 30,000 tons o grain, which had been earmarked fo ; the allies and ailocated it to Switz
 erland, arranging to replace it later b, , gram IIOu tue ArSenJlue, ana hdi further proved its good faith and de { sire to help out dependent neutrals b, successful efforts to secure tonnag , to transport the grain. The plan [ even contemplated bringing the ship , back in ballast from Cette to accele rate shipments and remove any ore l text for German submarine interfer : ence with the ships either going o coming.
 } Tt is hoped that Switzerland an 7 other neutrals will contrast the re
 spective attitudes of Germany and tn : United States toward the problem c l feeding the neutrals and will take du r notice of this latest attempt of Ger
 many to intimidate neutral ship own st CTS, through ruthless submarinins from fa r,-viyo fdod to Srp;4zo.1.x, =