Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-21

lutely no evidence that any sub
marine of a belligerent government
has ever visited what is known as
the safety zone-the 300-mile strip
along the coasts of both continents.
Several weeks ago President
Roosevelt mentioned an unverif1ed
report concerning the sighting of
submarines in the Caribbean, but
subsequent investigation by Govern
ment agencies disclosed that the re-
port was without foundation. Travel,
therefore, between North and South
American neutral ports is safe for
American ships.
The Graf Spec episode is in no
sense contradiction of these as
surances concerning the safety of
travel for Americans in the South
Atlantic or the Caribbean A dis
tinction is drawn naturally between
surface warships and undersea craft.
The presence of surface vessels of
belligerent powers has been known
since the start of the war, but
neither the British cruisers nor the
German pocket battleships have ever
attacked any American vessels.
When the naval battle was fought
the other day, neutral shipping was
in no way interfered with.
Nazis Need Subs Abroad.
American officials understand that
German submarines are needed in
European waters by the Nazis and
that it would be a waste of naval
forces to send any to South Atlantic
waters, to say nothing of the diff
culties of refueling such submarines.
Occasionally the British will stop
an American ship and make in
quiries as to her identity to make
sure that no DISCUSSES are being
used by German freighters, but
the regular passenger vessels trav-
cling between North and South
American ports are well-known to
the British fleet. Even the occa-
sional stopping of a vessel involves
no danger, because the British do
not sink neutral vessels. If the
latter carry contraband cargo, the
chances are hundred to one that
stoppage for inspection purposes
only would not cause any delay
to the American ships voyage.
On the whole, the North and
South Atlantic is cleared of any
menace to American ships and the
reason is partly the effective cruis-
ing done by the British fleet, and
partly the fact that no German
submarines can very well operate
at great distances from their base.
Another reason is the apparently
well-founded belief which exists
here that Germany does not in
tend to risk any complications with
the United States Government over
submarine attacks on ships flying
the American hag-the very thing
that brought the United States into
the last war on the side of the allies.
Undiscouraged BY Events.
Officials of the American Gov
eminent are by no means discour-
aged by the fact that occasionally
belligerent warships engage in naval
action or take prizes in North and
South Atlantic waters. The de-
velopment of the safety zone 300
miles wide along the coasts was not
the purpose of establishing a pa
troll or Of enforcing complete elimi-
nation Of warships of belligerent
powers. It is recognized that the
belligerent ships will rove the seas
and chase enemy vessels right into
territorial waters. What the safety
zone was intended for was to keep
neutral shipping absolutely safe
from attack.
There has been no official accept
ance by Great Britain of the safety
zone idea, for the very good reason
that it can be used by German ships
to slip along the coast for thousands
of miles and elude patrols. Un-
doubtedly the Columbus. the big
German luxury liner, and the
freighter Arauca. which put in at a
Florida port this week, hoped to
take course that would avoid con-
tact with the British patrols. The
safety zone could in these respects
be used to Britain's disadvantage.
Neutral Rights Respected.
But from the standpoint of the
Pan-American republics, the safety
zone represents the first construc-
tive attempt to insist on neutral
rights which has appeared in the
present war. European neutrals are
suffering. Their ships are being de-
troyed by German submarines and
mines. But in this hemisphere neu-
trail rights are being asserted and,
incidentally, are being respected.
Naval battles like that of the Graf
Spec are the exception rather than
the rule, and even these are in no
sense menace to neutral shipping
which can see and hear naval en-