§ Mr. A. V. Alexander(by Private Notice) asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has any information regarding the sinking of the steamship "Athenia," on 3rd September?
§ The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. Churchill)I regret to inform the House that a signal was received in the Admiralty at about 11 p.m. last night 371 giving the information that the steamship "Athenia" had been torpedoed in a position about 200 miles north-west of Ireland at 8.59 p.m. Orders had already been given by local Commanders for destroyers to proceed to her assistance, and by shortly after midnight four destroyers were proceeding at high speed towards the position. They should have been near the position by about 10 a.m. this morning. A further signal was received from the Master of the ''Athenia'' at about 1 a.m. this morning stating that there were 1,400 passengers, some of whom were still on board, and that the ship was sinking fast.
The "Athenia," a ship of 15,000 tons and belonging to the Donaldson Lines, left Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, the 2nd September, bound for Montreal. She had been ordered to steer on a course well off her normal track, and would presumably have been steaming at about 15 knots. She had 1,400 passengers on board, amongst whom were over 300 United States citizens.
It will be recollected that in 1935 Germany agreed to abide by Part 4 of the London Naval Treaty of 1930 in perpetuity, and was one of the first Powers to do so. These articles state that the following are accepted as established rules of international law:—
That is the law. Since the 26th August all British merchant ships in the Atlantic have been diverted from their normal routes. Orders were given for the institution of convoy on one route as soon as war was declared. Of course it will take a little time to institute a general system of convoy, but that is being pressed to the utmost.
- "(i) With regard to merchant ships, submarines must conform to the rules of international law to which surface vessels are subject.
- (ii) In particular, except in the case of persistent refusal to stop on being duly summoned or of active resistance to visit and search, a warship, whether surface or submarine, may not sink or render incapable of navigation a merchant ship without having first placed passengers, crew and ships papers in a place of safety. For this purpose the ships boats are not regarded as a place of safety unless the safety of the passengers and crew is assured, in the existing sea and weather conditions, or proximity of land, or the presence of another vessel which is in a position to take them on board."
372 A message has been received in the Admiralty this morning from the master of the "Athenia" stating that the passengers and crew, except those killed by the explosion, had taken to the boats and had been picked up by various ships. The fortunate escape of the survivors of the outrage does not alter the fact that under no circumstances can open boats 200 miles from land be regarded as a place of safety.
§ Mr. AlexanderBefore I put one or two supplementary questions to the First Lord, whose appearance in this position we all welcome at this stage, may I say with what profound horror, disgust and indignation all sections of the population will greet this new act by Germans against our Mercantile Marine? We wish to express our utmost sympathy with those, no matter to whatever nationality they belong, who have suffered as a result of this unpardonable outrage. May I ask the First Lord whether he can tell us if it is certain in the minds of the Board of Admiralty that the convoy system can be quickly and efficiently expanded to cover all reasonable precautions on these routes within a very short time? We, of course, have in mind that the war in Poland started as early as Friday morning last, and we are anxious that at this stage, without appearing to be critical, that that convoy system should be perfected at the earliest possible moment.
§ Mr. ChurchillI need scarcely say that the utmost endeavours will be used to employ all our means of escorts to their fullest possible capacity, and to adopt such other methods as may be necessary for vessels which fall outside the class and cannot at this moment be convoyed. We have every belief that the convoy system will be brought into complete operation at a comparatively early date. In the meanwhile all that is possible is being done.
§ Mr. AlexanderMay I ask whether immediate steps will be taken through the American Embassy in charge of our affairs in Berlin to draw immediate attention to this outrageous breaking of the Submarine Convention by Germany?
§ Mr. ChurchillThere are several legal issues which arise from this outrage, but I do not feel able to speak upon them particularly at this moment. A question, 373 perhaps, to-morrow might elucidate the legal or juridical aspects involved.
§ Mr. ShinwellMay I ask a question which the First Lord may not be able immediately to answer but to which he might give his consideration? In order to afford an assurance to the men of the Mercantile Marine that their interests will be properly safeguarded, are we to understand that the measures devised in connection with the insurance of personal effects and the payment of compensation which were agreed to in the last few days will come into operation in respect of any of the men affected by this disaster?
§ Mr. ChurchillIf the hon. Gentleman will put that question to me on the next opportunity in the House, I will see that I am in a position to answer it.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs the right hon. Gentleman in a position to say how many seamen have lost their lives in the disaster and how many passengers?
§ Mr. ChurchillI have given to the House the whole of the information in ray possession.
§ Commander Sir Archibald SouthbyCan my right hon. Friend say whether 374 this ship was fitted with defensive armament, and will he make it clear that the ship was torpedoed without any warning whatever?
§ Mr. ChurchillIt certainly was torpedoed without the slightest warning, in circumstances which the whole opinion of the world after the late War, in which Germany concurred, stigmatised as inhumane. According to my present information—I must confess that I have not had any opportunity of confirming it precisely—the ship was not in any way an auxiliary cruiser.
§ Mr. Benjamin SmithCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether in establishing the convoy system, which he contemplates at the earliest possible date, he will have some regard to a method of sorting ships for uniform speed and not, as on the last occasion, have a system under which the speed of the slowest ship was the speed of the whole of the ships in the convoy? If cargo liners could be brought together into the convoy system on the basis of something like uniform speed, it might do a great deal towards minimising the submarine peril.
§ Mr. Churchillindicated assent.