THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNMy Lords, seeing the noble Lord who represents the Admiralty in his place, I desire to ask a Question of which I have given him private notice—namely, whether the Admiralty intend to take active steps, and, if so, what steps, to counteract the inhuman and diabolical practice which has been started by Germany during the present war of sowing mines in the open sea on commercial routes. We have hitherto looked upon Germany as a nation having a very high standard of civilisation and humanity, but I am bound to say that our experience during this war has been such as to interfere to a considerable degree with that favourable opinion. This sowing of mines in the open sea on commercial routes is not war; it is a purposeless and barbarous attempt at indiscriminate murder, and can in no way affect the issue of the war. But this practice, which I regret to say has become very common, has injured and is injuring the trading ships of neutral States, upon which it chiefly has effect. It is true that two of His Majesty's vessels have been destroyed by mines since the beginning of the war, but the great number of victims have been the trading and fishing ships of small neutral nations, such as Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, and small nations such as these have not the power to make effective complaint. But if by chance it had happened that one of these mines had sunk an American liner, then Germany would have added a very effective and dangerous enemy to the number of her enemies at the present time.
This habit of sowing mines has become very common all up the East Coast of this kingdom. Up the whole of the East Coast of Scotland those engaged in trawling live in terror when they are following their occupation. If your Lordships want an illustration, let me give one which you will find in the newspapers to-day. The master of a Grimsby steam-trawler, the "Agatha," sighted a boat with masts, sails, and oars, which appeared to be a derelict. He went up to it, and as soon as it was taken in tow there was a frightful explosion, but fortunately the explosion did not affect his vessel. What can be 588 the use of inhuman practices of this sort? But the method by which they are pursued is much more reprehensible. It is notorious that this practice of mine-laying is commonly carried out by persons professing to be engaged in peaceful trawling. They are private persons; they wear no uniform and fly a flag—not the flag of Germany—which they have no right to fly; and they frequently mix with fishing fleets and use that opportunity for laying these abominable and inhuman mines. It seems to me that it is the duty of the Admiralty to protect not merely our own shipping but the shipping fleets of the whole world against these enemies of the human race. It is not for me to make suggestions. I feel sure that the authorities will themselves take effective measures. But I would suggest that in the first instance they should give full power to the officers of the Navy to deal with each case as it arises, and also that they should issue a notice stating that persons who are caught laying mines or in possession of mines under the conditions which I have mentioned will be tried by Court-Martial, and, if convicted, will meet their deserts as pirates, which they are. I beg to ask the Question of which I have given notice.
§ LORD WIMBORNEMy Lords, the noble Earl who has just sat down has called the attention of the House to a very grave matter. It is unquestionably true that mines have been sown in great quantities in the North Sea, and in many cases these mines have been sown on commercial routes without any reference to the rights of commercial shipping and especially of neutral shipping. That action is regarded by the Government as altogether out of harmony with the spirit of the Hague Convention, and the Government take a very serious view of the matter. With regard to the statement made by the noble Earl, I have to say that no trawler flying a neutral flag and engaged in laying mines has been taken by any of His Majesty's ships—all stories to that effect that we have seen in the newspapers are untrue—and the Admiralty have no evidence of anything of the kind. But I may state that the whole question of mine-laying is engaging the close and unremitting attention of the Admiralty, and they are not for a moment losing sight of the gravity of the matter. The noble Earl suggested that naval officers should be 589 given a free hand to deal with offenders who are caught in the act, but I do not think that on reflection that is a suggestion which will commend itself to the noble Earl or to the House. I may state, on behalf of the Admiralty, that any person captured laying mines under a neutral flag will be brought before a Court-Martial in he proper way. We consider that to be the best method of dealing with a practice of this kind. Before I sit down I should like to repeat that the Admiralty take a very serious view of this matter, and are engaged in giving it their best attention with a view to mitigating the terrible consequences which the laying of these mines has upon neutral and harmless shipping.