German increasing submarine fleet against Russian threat according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad 1939 no. 4

An item referred to the magazine R.U.S.I. dated February 1939 reported that Germany motivated the increase of her submarine fleet to the British Royal Navy submarine fleet and the building of 2-10.000 ton cruisers armed with 20,3cm guns by referring to the expansion of the Russian navy in the Baltic Sea. The German press denied explicit that Germany would support Italy in the aspirations of that country in the Mediterranean. On the other hand was the importance of a submarine in a merchant war obvious described. The author of the item did not believe that despite signing the treaty Germany would obey the submarine protocol in taking care of the lives of the sailors on board of the merchant ships before destroying those ships.