The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-23
Our Right 10 Sell ships-The Law
of 1878.

creation OF o fleet OF cruisers has assumed
the phase of patriotic demonstration. In
the popular comprehension of the scheme
it appears that the ships for the purpose are
to be purchased in foreign countries and
paid for, rs far as possible. by popular SUBJ
scription, or by the munifcence of indi-
viduals or associations like that of the Mos
COW merchants, whom the Czarewitch has
just thanked for contribution of four hum
dred thousand roubles. But the ships thus
supplied to the government VIII be-
come Russian national ships, will be
subject to tho disposition Of the Russian
naval authorities and will fly the national
colors. though the designation Of ''volun-
teer fleet" has been used this does not seem
to imply that the ships will be less national
in their maritime character than any man
of-war in our own navy would be II given to
the government by a rich merchant rather
than built in the national navy yards. In
fact, the Russians seem to have adopted
this scheme by way Of a substantial re-
spouse to that spirit Of patriotic buster
that has filed all the British beer shops
with lingo songs for some months past Eng
land, say the MINISTRIES, has the ships and
the men and the money. Russia, say the
Russians, has the men, and with what
money we can spare we will help her to get
the ships
Naturally this movement has attracted
attention outside Of Russia, especially here,
where the ships have been sought and i'll
England, where it has been the fashion to
doubt that there existed in Russia any ele-
ment Of this sort of popular inspiration and
impulse. Comment in the London journals
has been in great part based upon an opin-
ion extensively entertained within Her
Majesty's dominions that the world is
place in which Englishmen are at liberty
to do what they please, but in which other
men must explain their motives. One section
Of the British public, sufficiently large to
support press devoted to the special main
tenance Of its views, thought the Ministry
would be justified in demanding "a cate
gorical explanation from the Russian
Foreign Office concerning the reported
armament of Russian privateers in the
United States" Perhaps in day or two
the government to demand an explanation
from the United States on the same subject,
and would have suggested that for the sake
of appearances England should in both
cases accompany tie demand with an ex-
PLANTATION of her own recent warlike prep
arations. But the British government
was inspired with different conceptions; for
when an inquiry directed to the point was
made in the House Of Commons on Tues
day night the Attorney General said that
.'he had heard of the ships purchased by
persons said to act on behalf Of Russia, but
thought there was no reason to suppose that
the ships would be employed in the event
OF war as privateers in contravention of the
Paris declaration. There is no reason to
believe, he said, that the United States will
depart from observance Of the three rules
Of the Washington Treaty. There is no
necessity for discussing the responsibility
resting on tho governments of Russia and
the United States, since there is no reason
to suppose that they would violate their re-
spective engagements. In other words,
Her Majesty's Attorney General knew what
was his business and what was other peoples
business, and was inclined that all should
respectively mind their own.
On our side the Atlantic it cannot but be
profitable to take particular notice of this
distinct English declaration on the relations
of nations to one another in time OF peace.
1t involves the rational, sound and whole
some views of those relations. and hints
at the improperly Of making imper-
tinent inquiries into the acts or inten-
tons of governments that must be assumed
to be honest in all cases and friendly when
not ut war. Unfortunately our own attitude,
as declared in our laws, as there appears to
be disposition to interpret them, is far
less handsome and less worthy the
the governments of great nations. If
the statute of 1918 is not dead letter
the simple fact of the purchase of ship
in any American port by the agent of
foreign government empowers and APP
parently requires the United States govern
ment to investigate the motives and inten-
tions with which the purchase is made. It
is to be assumed always that the government
of an independent State is responsible for
its acts in Legitimate way, and that it is in
contravention OF its dignity to inquire into
them in any other than n Legitimate way
yet this statute can only be enforced
through the exercise Of surveillance that
regards the government of friendly nation
rs unable to appear in our markets save
with purposes that are criminal under our
laws
BY the provisions of that law every mer-
chant in the United States who may have
n ship to sell is regarded somewhat in the
light OF the tickct-oi-leave man of the Eng
lish criminal system from the moment that
war becomes likely IN any foreign country