Albania Arraigned
The British Note to Albania is not a syllable stronger than the situation requires. It is difficult, indeed, to imagine a situation more grave. The narrow channel between Corfu, which is Greek, and Albania is recognised as an international highway, yet in May two British cruisers which were passing through it were fired on by Albanian batteries, fortunately without effect. A strong protest produced only an entirely unsatisfactory reply. But that was a small matter compared with what happened on October 22nd, when in a waterway which had been effectively cleared by British minesweepers two British destroyers, Saumarez ' and Volage; struck mines and were seriously damaged, with a loss of 44 officers and seamen. Sub- sequent sweeping operations have resulted in the recovery of no fewer than 22 mines, of German origin, showing every sign of being recently laid. They might have been laid by Albania ; they could not have been laid without Albanian cognizance ; and in the latter event the Albanian Government is responsible for giving immediate warning of the danger to shipping. No such assurance was given. Instead the Albanian Government intimated that further minesweep- ing would be regarded as a violation of its sovereignty. In such circumstances the British Government has demanded of Albania full reparation for the damage caused to His Majesty's ships and full compensation to the families of the personnel killed, adding that if no satisfactory reply is received in 14 days the matter will be brought before the Security Council. This is, of course, the right procedure. The occurrence is disturbing in the last degree. Albania is a small and semi-civilised country of barely a million inhabitants. How it obtained the German mines and the skill to lay them is a matter for the most searching investigation.
