§ Mr. A. V. Alexander (by Private Notice)asked the Prime Minister whether he can make a further statement on the naval action in connection with the German ship "Altmark"?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. This admirably conducted operation resulted, as hon. Members are by now well aware. in the rescue of 299 officers and men belonging to a number of British merchant vessels sunk by the German armoured ship "Graf Spee." These prisoners had been closely confined on the German naval supply ship "Altmark" for periods up to more than three months. His Majesty's Government are at present awaiting full reports from the naval officers concerned in this very gallant affair, but I am sure that the House will join 1162 His Majesty's Government in the satisfaction they feel at the release of the officers and crews of the vessels sunk by the German raider after their long ordeal, and that hon. Members will desire also to congratulate the Royal Navy most heartily upon this notable addition to its annals.
Apart from the original protest, which was handed to the Secretary of State on Saturday last, we have received no official communication from the Norwegian Government, but I have seen, as no doubt have hon. Members, an account in the Press of the full statement made by the Norwegian Foreign Minister in the Storting last night, and I desire to make certain comments upon it at once. I feel bound to say that this account makes the action, or rather inaction, of the Norwegian Government even more difficult to understand than I had previously supposed. We had imagined that the Norwegian authorities had conducted some examination of the "Altmark," and our complaint was that this examination had been so perfunctory that it did not reveal the presence of the British prisoners on board. It now appears, however, that the Norwegian authorities conducted no examination of the ship at all. According to Professor Koht's statement, the "Altmark" was stopped a little south of Trondheim Fjord by a Norwegian torpedo-boat, whose commander made a request to inspect the ship. It appears that, according to the Norwegian view, as the "Altmark" was regarded as a warship and carried the German State flag, the Norwegian officer could not make a request to search the ship. He examined her papers, which were found in order, and apparently on this allowed her to proceed.
It seems, however, that the chief naval commander in Bergen was not quite satisfied, and on 15th February the "Altmark," when about 100 miles from Bergen, was stopped by a Norwegian guard ship demanding to inspect the ship. The "Altmark's" captain refused to submit to inspection and the request was dropped. Even the fact that the Norwegian authorities discovered that the "Altmark" had used her wireless in Norwegian territorial waters, in violation of the Norwegian regulations, did not lead the Norwegian authorities to take any action beyond making a complaint and accepting an apology based on the state- 1163 ment that the captain of the "Altmark" was unacquainted with the Norwegian prohibition.
I have taken all the above from Professor Koht's statement. Moreover, before His Majesty's ships took any action against the "Altmark," the Commanding Officer, acting on the instructions of His Majesty's Government, proposed to the Norwegian Naval Officer on the spot that the "Altmark" should be taken to Bergen under joint British and Norwegian guard in order that the matter might be properly investigated there by the Norwegian authorities. This offer was refused. The British Commanding Officer then invited the Norwegian Officer to accompany the British boarding party on board the "Altmark," but he declined to do so. It will be seen, therefore, that on not one occasion but on three or four, the Norwegian authorities failed to carry out a proper investigation of the case. It was not until after these refusals that His Majesty's ships took action against the "Altmark," and it is plain that if they had not done so the ship would have been allowed to complete her voyage to Germany without let or hindrance and without any inquiry into the circumstances. I observe also that Professor Koht stated that the Norwegian authorities did not know that British prisoners were on board the "Altmark." Considering that this fact was prominently reported weeks ago in the Press of the world, I cannot but regard this as a most surprising statement.
I find it difficult in these circumstances to resist the conclusion that the Norwegian authorities have displayed complete indifference as to the use which might be made of their territorial waters by the German Fleet. Even if such indifference was due to German pressure, it is nevertheless, in the view of His Majesty's Government, inconsistent with the active and impartial exercise of the duty of a neutral towards ourselves as belligerents. According to the views expressed by Professor Koht, the Norwegian Government see no objection to the use of Norwegian territorial waters for hundreds of miles by a German warship for the purpose of escaping capture on the high seas and of conveying British prisoners to a German prison camp. Such a doctrine is at variance with international 1164 law as His Majesty's Government understand it. It would in their view legalise the abuse by German warships of neutral waters and create a position which His Majesty's Government could in no circumstances accept.
§ Mr. AlexanderI think the House will wish me to say that we are very pleased with the nature and the details of the statement of the Prime Minister. I, at any rate—and I am sure my colleagues will desire to be associated with me—wish to express satisfaction with the action of the Royal Navy in freeing about 300 seamen who had been carrying out a most gallant work already on behalf of their country and who have been saved from a durance vile from which we would all have desired to see them saved.