Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-03-15
Submarines Are Employed to
Destroy Shipping of Scan
dinavian Countries and
Holland,
CARRIER COMPETITION
AFTER WAR AIMED AT
Every Ship of Other Country
Sent to Bottom Now VIII
Not Compete With Teuton
Vessels When Peace Comes,

tsY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEssso ~'ssi
Washington, March 14.-G
latest campaign of ruthlessncss
against neutral shipping is attribu-
ted by the war trade board in state.
ment tonight to a deliberate plan for
cutting off the north European ma
tons from American and allied food
supplies and thereby reducing them
through starvation to political and
economic dependence upon the Tcu-
tonic war lords.
While the board makes no refer
ence to the determination Of the Uni
ted States and Great Britain to take
over Dutch ships In American and
allied ports unless the Netherlands
government accepts a pending econ
omic agreement its statement throws
interesting light upon the situation
which led to this decision, The hope
is expressed that the neutras will
contrast the respective attitudes OF
the United States and Germany toward
the problem of feeding them.
Trade Boards Statement.
Following is the statement:
"Germany's war leaders are using
the submarine war weapon to prevent
fulfillment of American agreements
to feed and relieve European neutrals
mass of cumulative evidence and
Indications in the possession of the
war trade board show that Germany
is employing the submarine menace
to prevent neighbor neutrals receiv-
ing any food or favors at the hands
of the United States and sc asso-
ciates in the war and to co teae
neutrals through starvation HfiH lu'-
ltical and economic depen6 8ga yna
Germany quite as mucn a.. - -a4t
at the communications of its oppon-
ents-Germany' ostensible aim in
proclaiming the ruthless submarine
campaign.
What Germany Strives For.
Further indications tend. to show
that the submarines are being used,
along similar dog-in-t the -manger lines,
to destroy neutral shipping without
regard to its employment in order to
weaken prospective neutral competit.
ors after the war and to drag down
neutral tonnage as far as possible
toward a position of equality Cor in.
feriority) with the German mercantile
marine, which has lost between 40
and so per cent of its ocean tonnage,
so that the neutral trader may be
equally as badly off as his German
rival for tonnage in the after-the-
race for commerce.
Danish Ships Destroyed.
NO other Interpretation can be
placed, for example, upon the re-
peated instances of destruction of neu
tral Danish ships on voyages between
Iceland and the Danish mother coun.
try entirely outside of the war Zor .
nor upon the milttudinous mistakes
whereby Dutch and other neutral
ships, clinging to the precarious mar
row way left open through the ,ro-
hlDlted zone, are torpedoel outside
the zone by U-boat commanders.
whose word that the vessels were
within the zone is later accepted an.
questioned by the German prize
courts. Prominent ship owners N
Scandinavian countries have stated
their belief that many sinkings wcre
INSPIRED only by the intention to got
riI OF neutral tonnage So as t., in
crease the relative value - German
shipping available 1t the ced nf the
war, Examine IONS Of tie captarns
OF torpedoed ships bcfor, The marine
courts in these countries boar out this
pellef, the testimony rcpcatc ~, sh1u.
ing that vessels were attacked fer oU,-
side the zone
Sinister Policy shown.
me intent of he GcrnIans 80
prevent neutrals receiving food and
supplies under relief agreements
concluded with the United s'atcs is
illustrated by the German veto
placed upon the tenpor7rv l,tc.r,s VI
rendi with Holland providing for
provisioning of the countls-. Two
food ships laden with supplies for tho
Netherlands. along with eIcyen Bel
gian relief ships haye been waiting
| in American ports for weeks unable
| to sail because of the refusal Of Ger
| many to permit an equivalent amount
| of tonnage leaving Dutch harbors.
the obvious plan of the German au-
| thorities being to gather I'll Dutch
| ships into home harbors and then
prevent any of them sailing by
| threats to torpedo any vessel leaving
| Holland waters. To relieve the food
situation in Holland the war trade
board has finally authorized tbs
| trans-shipment of the food In tmt =