The more information divulged about the rescue of British prisoners aboard the German war vessel Altmark,—it must be remembered that M. Koht, Norwegian Foreign Minister himself admits this to be the character of the vessel,—the more amazing does the whole thing become. Within the strict terms of international law on the subject of neutrality Great Britain undoubtedly breached Norway's neutrality when it entered territorial waters in pursuit of the Altmark, but the question may be asked as to what sort of neutrality it was. In the words of Mr. Chamberlain, who wasted no time in replying to M. Koht's contentions, it was a neutrality in which the Norwegian authorities "displayed a complete indifference as to the use which might be made of their territorial waters." The fact of the matter is that the Altmark having managed to pene-rate the British blockade sought to reach safety by using Norwegian territorial waters as a channel by means of which the security of a home port might be reached, and the captain of the Altmark was undoubtedly seeking to carry out an act of war, namely the transportation of prisoners captured by the Admiral Graf Spee under the protection of Norwegian neutrality. It could have been thought that with the command of the North Sea, to which the Reich has laid frequent bombastic claims it would not have been necessary for the Altmark to have pursued such a course, but the fact is that Germany possesses no such command, as the success of the British naval feat so convincingly demonstrates. The Altmark, therefore, sought safety in the clearest possible breach of the territorial integrity of Norwegian waters. It is inconceivable that the Norwegian authorities should ever have thought the Germans would be allowed to get away with it, and if the British Government had not taken the action they did, and failed in the circumstances to rescue their nationals, there would nave been a hissing and a byword in the regard of all reasonable people.
Mr. Koht's view that the Norwegian Government see no objection to the use of their waters for hundreds of miles by a German war vessel, for the purpose of escaping capture on the high seas and conveying British prisoners to a German prison camp, is in the opinion of the British Government completely at variance with international law, as they understand it, for it would in their opinion legalize the abuse by German warships of neutral waters and create a position which His Majesty's Government can in no circumstances accept. The.lot of the neutral in all wars has been proved to be an uncomfortable one, and this struggle will prove no exception. It is inevitable that they will be irritated by the restrictions which the exercise by belligerents of their well defined rights necessarily involve, and, while everything possible is done to make the situation less irksome, dissatisfaction must necessarily ensue. But the moderate exercise of their rights by the belligerents requires that the neutrals shall assume the grave responsibility of maintaining their integrity intact, and that by not one jot shall they lean in their behaviour either to one side or the other. It is obvious that by permitting the Germans to use Norwegian waters in the way they have Norway's neutrality has become bereft of that impartiality which is so imparatively necessary. The indications are that Norway is being subjected to very considerable German pressure and in that regard very considerable sympathy will be felt for her in the difficult position in which she is placed. Yet no matter how much she is to be sympathized with, it has to be remembered that Great Britain and France are just as much at war as is Germany, and whatever. modification of her neutrality Norway is forced to concede to Germany will obviously be availed of by the Allies. Thus if the Norwegian Government fails to take such. steps as will prevent their waters from being used for warlike purposes by Germany, there need be no surprise if the Allies avail themselves of like privileges, for neutrality has either to be complete or it is no neutrality at all.
That this opinion is widely held throughout the world is to be noticed in the resumes of press comment which have appeared. Comment in leading American newspapers clearly support the British action and very much to the point is the remark of the New York "Sun" that "Norwegian officials accepted the word of the German commander, and Germany violated Norwegian neutrality."
This is but another instance of how dangerous it is to accept the German word, and it clearly demonstrates that the Norwegian officials would have been better advised to have met that repeated request that the Altmark should be searched. The initial guilt is that of Germany, and in any discussion of the question that has to be remembered. It is to be hoped that the matter will be settled amicably, for in Great Britain and France there is a sincere liking and admiration for the Scandinavian countries, and a very real appreciation of the difficult position in which they are placed by proximo ity to a nation which apparently confines its attention to international law to the study of how best.to break it. Obviously it would be very much in the interests of the Reich to force Norway to an open breach with Great Britain, for that would enable her to make use of the Norwegian coastline as a long and very effective base for naval and air action against Britain. It is to be hoped that the diplomacy of the two countries will be able enough to prevent any unfortunate development. Nevertheless it is quite clear that the men who have been rescued can never be handed over either to Norway, or through her to Germany. As for the very "righteous" indignation expressed in Germany little attention need be paid to it, It arises from the realization of the bitter fact that this particular little scheme has been frustrated, and that even the slight consolation of being able to retain the prisoners taken by the inglorious Admiral Graf Spee has been denied them.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.