Evening star., 1939-09-04
Germany Pledged
Not 10 Attack
Merchant Ships
Agreed to Protocol
Of Treaty Respecting
international Law

hCoc uAdA Ciicc ycuis aSO tiAC
German government pledged itself
to respect the protocol to the Lon
don naval treaty of April, 1890, pro-
hibiting the sinking OF merchant
ships without provocation and with
out assuring the safety of passen-
gers.
With unrestricted submarine war
fare apparently launched by Ger
many again, in the sinking Of the
Athena last night, the promise to
refrain from this ruthless measure
was recalled today.
Terms Of Treaty.
Part 1, Articles XXI Of the treaty,
which the German government later
accepted, provide:
"The following are accepted as
established rules of international
law:
"O In their action with regard
to merchant ships, submarines must
conform to the rules of international
law to which surface vessels are
subject.
"QD' in particular, except in case
of persistent refusal to stop, on be-
ing duly summoned, or of active
resistance to visit or search, q war;
ship, whether surface vessel or sub
marine boat, may not sink or render
incapable of navigation merchant
vessel without having first placed
passengers, crew and ships papers
in a place of safety. For the pur-
pose the ships boat are not re-
garded as place of safety unless
the safety Of the passengers and
crew is assured, in the existing sea
and weather conditions by tho
proximity of land or the presence OF |
another vessel which is in posi-
ton to take them on board.
THE high contracting parties in
vite all other powers to express
their assent to the above rule"
The treaty, limiting and reducing
Naval armaments, was signed by
the United States, Great Britain,
France, Italy and Japan.
Germany, while not party 10
the treaty, agreed six years later
to accept certain of its provisions,
including the one sharply restrict
ing submarine warfare.
Favored by RibbentrOp.
Joachim Won Ribbentrop, now
German foreign minister, then Am
bassador to England, said IN note:
Il most respectfully declare in the
name of my government that the
German government accepts the
regulations restated above and ac-
cepts them as binding upon it from
today"
Even as the present general
European War was embarked on,
France and England issued this
pledge:
Concerning the use of naval
forces. including submarines, the two
governments pledge themselves
strictly to rules formulated by proto-
col in 1880 concerning submarines,
which was accepted by almost all
civilized nations"
When Germany waged her unre-
stricted submarine warfare, starting
in 1917, shortly before America en-
tered the war, she was credited with
sinking 1,l34 ships before the armis-
tice. In addition, 84l ships were at
tackled by submarines and escaped.
The Allies reported destruction OF
73 U-boats.
The most spectacular and tragic
instance was the sinking Of the
British liner Lusitania in 1914, with
the loss of 1913 lives.
U. S. Plunged Into War.
Repeated attacks on American
ships-With the loss of the Gulflight
as the final episode-brought this
country into the war.
Although developed in their mod
ern form only in recent years, the
submarine. in cruder shapes. dates
back to 1920. In that year Cor
nelius van Drubel, Dutchman in
the service of King James of Eng
land, built submersible which IL
rowers navigated Is feet under the
Thames River for several hours.
Other forerunners of the present.
day submarines were built in later
years, but the first recorded in
stance in which one was used in
warfare was in 1776, when the Tur-
tie, an American submarine, tried to
sink the British warship Eagle,
which was anchored of New York.
A powder charge was exploded un-
der the ship, but 1t did little dam
age.
During the Civil War, on February
IT, 1864, the Housatonic, which was
blockading Charleston, S. c., was
sunk by a Confederate submarine
which released torpedo fitted over
her bow. The explosion caused the
submarine to sink, with the loss of
her crew of nine men.
The submarine first became a
regular navy weapon in 1888, when
France launched the Gymnote.