New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-23
Is TILE BLOCKADE WILDLY

,r,,o oo,,o, If tho Powers toward Crete and
Greece brings up again the Old ana u"ch-uis
ruted question of the validity OF so-cane"
..neaceful blockade Is there leenliha'eH'
such n thing? Is not the very phrase II con'ih,
diction in terms. as much as "peaceiu War
vonJd he? Such. beyond doubt. is the common
hf1ief although. as we shall See there are emil
mont authorities on both sides OF the case.
blockade is defined by dictionaries ana enc!-
clopa edias as the act Of shutting our all 'raue
by sea with certain specified ports or coas's Oh
one bellicerent by anOther-a war right only
pr. Walker. Of Cambridge University, IT MS
latest treatise On intei national law. defines
II as the maritime investment by beiiigereh'
"of a mort or other portion Of a coast in the pos
.snssion of his enemy" etc. and Wheaton
quotes a judicial utterance TO the erect 'ha'
"to Justify the exercise of the right Of blockade
land legalze the capture Of neutral vessei
for violating II. q state Of aetna, war must TX
"ist." No considerable authority dissents from
these views blockade is an act of war
Can there, then, leei,imately be "A pacific
blockade: Has Power n right. under inter
national law. to blockade port of another
Power with which 1t is not at war, and to com
mol by force of arms, third Power 10 respect
IlOckauf.
Charles Sumner In the United States are quoted
as maintaining the affirmative. but the over
wbolming mass of authority and the tradi-
tional policy and practice of this country seem
10 he on the other side. There are numerous
prccedents. several of them in connection WITH
Greece and Turkey. France. Great Britain ana
Russja declared a peaceful blockade of
Greece in 1897 which Turkey refused 10 re-
gard as a pacific measure and which ended III
the decidedly non-pacifc battle OF NaVarlho.
France IN 1898 declared a peaceful blockade
of Mexican ports. but Mexico refused to submit
10 il and declared war. In various other cases
such ''blockadcs" have been declared main
tanned and finally raised without actual war.
But what is significant Is this. that they nav"
never received recognition AZ binding under III
ternationa law All treaty stipulaiions as to
blockadcs imply that they are acts OF war. All.
or nearly all. The Powers have formally de-
nOlnced bockades except AS acts OF war. And
the institute Of International Law. at The
Hague in 1874. resolved by large majority
that pacific bockades' were not legitimate.
American vessels in Mediterranean waters
are few There is little probability that one
will approach the Creian const and he in danger
CT seizure as a bl)ckade-runner. But this conn
Try has received formal notice that peace.
full blockade" exists. that any of It's vessels at
tcmptine 10 break il will be seized and searched
md that certain perfectly legitimate branches
of commerce between this country and Crete
will be prohibited. The question Is whether
Ivy unprotcsting acceptance of such notice this
Government should tacitly acquiesce In its va
lldiiy, and thus permit the establishment of
l.,,,
metricnly opposed TO American principles and
policy and one which might some day become
operative 10 our great disadvantage.
Since state Of civil war has not been pro-
claimed and does not exist In Crete; since Crete