Evening star., 1937-09-04
Mediterranean Piracy.

Provoked by recurrent attacks on her
shipping in embattled Spanish waters.
Great Britain has been stirred into Wig
orous action by the latest assaults on
vessels flying the Union Jack. Early this
week the destroyer Havock was the tar
get of a mysterious submarine operating
near the Balearic Islands. Her crew of
l45 officers and men only narrowly
escaped Davy Jones locker. A few hours
later the British oil freighter Woodford,
manned largely by Greeks and carrying
100000 gallons of fuel oil from Ru-
mania to Valencia, was torpedoed by an
unidentified submarine about 100 miles
from the point where the Havock was
attacked. The tanker was sunk, one of
its crew was killed and six others were
wounded. Thirty-two survivors reached
the Spanish shore in lifeboats. 1t is sup
posed that the Havocks assailant now
also lies at the bottom OF the Medter-
ranean, for the destroyer's seamen report
having observed large pools of oil on the
surface after they had discharged depth
bombs at their invisible foe, pretty con-
elusive evidence that the miscreant met
his doom.
Apparently under Admiralty inspira-
ton, the British press is freely suggesting
that the lawless submarine is Italian.
London newspapers talk Of piracy in
the Mediterranean and call angrily for
ruthless suppression of attacks on British
craft, which are as sudden and brutal
as they are unjustified." The Times,
thus voicing outraged public opinion,
thunders that there is but one way to
deal with such conduct. Counter attack
on the perpetrators Of these piratical acts
is clearly the only method of discourage
ing their repetition, whatever the iden-
tity Of the offenders" France, for which
the Mediterranean is hardly less of a
lifeline than for the British, echoes the
cry for measures to end German-model
submarine frightfulness, Russia, which
has just suffered the loss of freighter in
the Aegean Sea at the hands of an al
legged Spanish insurgent submarine, is
ready to join in any steps necessary to
thwart depredations against legitimate
shipping.
While the British are rushing more
warships into Spanish waters to protect
their shipping against molestation, and
with orders to shoot to sink London
is preparing to deal with the situation
through international diplomacy. It has
asked all Mediterranean nations repre-
sented at Geneva to meet during next
weeks session of the League Council
for discussion of piracy in the Medi-
terranean. Italy indicates a desire to
be represented at the meeting. II Mus
solinl establishes that Italian submarines.
in or out of General Frances service had
nothing to do with the incidents of which
British ships were victims, much of the
gunpowder will be extracted from a situ-
alton that reeks plentifully with explo-
slveness. Contrariwise, if any develop
ments indicate that Insurgent warships,
at direct or indirect Italian instigation,
are menacing British rights in the Medi-
terranean, Anglo-Italian relations, long
and sorely strained by the Spanish con-
f1ict, will inevitably undergo grave aggra-
vation. IN John Bulls bosom still rankles
the humiliation which II Duce visited
upon British naval power during the
Ethiopian crisis. The lion is in no mood
for any repetition of Fascist arrogance
at sea, either Of Italian or Italo- Insurg-
ent origin.