Evening star., 1939-11-20
Germany Believed
Waging Unrestricted
Warfare With Mines
British Claim Explosives
Luid Without Notice
Custom Requires
By LELAND STOWE,

LONDON, Nov. 20.-Nazi Ger
many is believed here to have en-
barked upon unrestricted mine-lay-
ing warfare, directed against neu-
trail as well as belligerent ships in
established and hitherto respected
traffic lanes. This conclusion is
based upon the testimony of sur
vivors of the Dutch liner Simon
Bolivar, which sank, with the loss
of 140 lives, Saturday off the east
coast of England 1t is enormously
strengthened by an admiralty an
nouncement of further sinkings to-
day.
In regard to the Simon Bolivar
tragedy, the admiralty has charged
that the mines were laid, without
any notification, in the channel
followed by merchant ships, both
British and neutral, and there is NO
doubt that they were laid for the
specific purpose of destroying such
ships"
1t is stated here that the laying
of mines in traffic channels without
notification constitutes a fragrant
violation of international law. It
also appears that the U-boats, hav-
Ing been seriously checkmated to
date by the British Navys remark
ably effective anti-submarine &C
tivity, may now be turned to ex-
tensive mine-laying.
Sinkings Laid to Mines.
British officials claim that the
series of weekend sinkings is di-
rectly attributable to mines. AL
though some survivors of the Simon
Bolivar expressed the belief that it
was torpedoed, most testimony indi-
Gates that the ship struck a mine
and the British insist that none OF
their mines are located in the vicin-
ity of the disaster. They point out
that the British admiralty is hardly
likely to plant mines in channels
used extensively by Britain's own
shipping. 1t is certain that the de-
struction of approximately $4,000
tons over the week end, combined
with heavy loss of lives, will pre-
clpltate extreme protective measures
by the British naval forces.
The London press betrays confu-
sion regarding one aspect of mine
warfare. When mines are laid they
are equipped with a device which
keeps them active so long as they
are moored in the depths, but rem
ders them noneXplosive when they
break loose and mount to the sea S
surface. The use of this device to
make errant mines harmless is pre-
scribed by international law.
Several newspapers today charge
that Germans no longer are neu-
trallzing their unmoored mines.
Even the London Times says that all
British mines are so handled but
this is not true with all German
mines" 1t is possible that the Nazis
have commenced to use mines lille
gally, no longer using the auto
matte surface safety device. A high
British naval authority at a mine
torpedo school informed this cor
respondent last week, however, that
until that time the Germans have
kept their mine warfare within
legal limits. I'VE do not know how
long they will continue to do So" he
said. Whether the Nazs have now
turned to the unlimited use of
mines without regard for interna-
tlonal code cannot yet be clearly
ascertained, though their invasion
of normally respected traffic lanes
seems substantiated by what infor-
nation is available here.
Could Convert U-Boats.
If U-boats are now laying mines,
as the British believe, intensification
of the Nazis' war against the block
ade must be expected. 1t is known
that the Germans had two l ,1O0-ton
U-boats especially equipped for mine
laying under construction when the
war began. They could not yet be
in service, but smaller U-boats of
the 500 to 700 ton class could easily
be adjusted for mine laying work
1t is said.
Reports that the Germans are
using new type of magnetic mine
have not yet been confirmed by the
British.
1t was authoritatively stated at
noon today that eight British ships,
totaling 1928 tons, were sunk last
week, plus three neutral vessels to-
falling 25,698 tons. In addition, one
British and two neutral ships were
sunk yesterday.
Only seven out of 3,070 ships un-
der convoy since the war began had
been destroyed by U-boats-and
these seven were not in convoy with
escorts when attacked 1t was also
stated that the British have always
notified neutral governments of the
positions of mine fields which they
have laid. In regard to the Baltic,
the Germans have also given notifi-
cation, but have failed to give any
notification in respect to the North
Sea. the Channel and other waters.
With longer nights, the Nazis' mine
laying is, it is believed, being stepped
up. The officially expressed opinion
is that the Germans are no longer
bothering about the rules of sea
warfare.
Copyright, 1889, Chicago Daily News. 1nc.)