The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-03-27
The Blockade of Crete.

I ScAhc0 VI us SCOpc ne olcCAdOt Il aSc44ASt
ships flying the Greek nag, and it is an
nounced that merchant vessels of the Unit
ed States and other neutral nations are
to be overhauled. but if carrying nothing
designed to aid the Greek instruction on
the island, not to be molested.
The New York Evening Post says that
this announcement is deprived of most Of
its Importance, so far as the United States
is concerned, by the fact that we have no
commerce with Greece. 1t is said that not
an American ship passed through the Suez
| Canal in 1886, and we have had no trade
with Crete for years. Besides this. our gov
eminent has recently been so firm an OBJ
serving out obligations to keep the peace
| abraod that ventures such as those of the
Laurada and Three Friends have lost much
OF the charm they once possessed for phil
anthropic merchants here; and there is no
| indication that the present administration
means to do anything but continue the
same policy even more stringently.
No doubt this state of affairs Is irritat-
| ing to some patriots at Washington. Mr..
| Frye, for instance, IS quoted saying
that it makes no difference whether we
| have any trade with Crete or not; the prin-
ciple of the right of American ships TO go
where they please in time of peace is in
| volved, and that If ne had his way, he
would, if necessary, take every dollar in
| the treasury to purchase warships, and
| every American citizen to man them" and
| send them into every part of the world"
| that they might be defended against all
| insults
| Thes main question which our govern
ment will have 10 consider is how far ii
can afford to let the blockade of Crete go
without protest, and in considering this
question the important matter to bear in
i, mind is the real nature of the blockade.
and the historical position Of the United
| States
The Powers of course endeavor to make
blockade resemble as much as possible a
| war-blockade, recognized by the law of ma
| tons, and binding on third parties. but the
rules of international law recognize no such
| blockade. A pacific blockade is virtually
| an act of war, although disguised as
peaceful measure, but it creates no state of
var, and hence gives the blockading ma
| ton no right to say that the subjects of
| third power shall not go on trading with
the blockaded power as long as they like.
All the laws Of war grow out of the practice
of nations in time of war, and are founded
on the idea that it is better for the general
interests of the world that a nation which
has determined to appeal to war shall have
the right TO make ii effective. An effective
blockade is respected by non-combatant
nations for the same reason that lombard
ments of seaports are respected, because
on the whole experience taches us that the
right to make war effective is essential to
the existence of every state, and that the
denial Of ii to one is denial of ii to all.
But the right to make effective war has
always been limited by the consideration
that there must be an actual war, with no.
tice to all the world. The reason for this is
that it is desirable that people who wish TO
reap the benefits of war should not be al
lowed to impose its burdens on non-combat-
ant nations, without undertaking its respon
sibilities. If one nation could blockade
another, for instance, and compel the rest
to respect the blockade without any war,
one country might reduce another to COM
plete submission, by destroying its COM
merce, without striking blow, and IN do
ing so might ruin the commerce of two or
three other countries. To this the other
countries would undoubtedly say no; If you
want to cripple our commerce, you must
declare war. We shall then be neutrals,
and knowing, according to law laid down
in prize courts and observed by nations for
centuries. where we stand. Under a pacific
you choose to allow. We can appeal to no
prize court to determine whether your
blockade is effective, or a mere piece of
paper; if il is not effective, and you seize
our cargoes, We have no redress but TO de.
clare war ourselves; if you say everything
that we trade in is contraband, there is no
court where our rights can be protected.
Your blockade overrides even treaties, and
substitutes your will for the established
principles which govern the intercourse of
nations, and are enforced by their courts.
Now the United States has for hun
bred years been the one power on the face
of the earth which has steadily and con-
sistently upheld these views. 1t has been
the great neutral nation in time of war, and
il has been the great peaceful nation at all
times. 1t has been the great supporter OF
trade and commerce, against lawless at
tempts to interfere with it, and its historic
policy and principles would forbid it TO toll |
crate and interference with its trade by a |
pacific" blockade in parts of the world |
where it had any trade. Whatever course of |
action the government may now adopt, It /
could never admit that such practices as /
pacific" blocksdes can in any way be rec |
ognized as part of internationa law bind /
ing upon ii.
1TOI. 4. L. a respectable dulhOl-
ity, has attempted to break the force of |
such considerations as these by publishing /
a letter in the London Times in which he /
undertakes to prove that pacific blockades
are recognized by the law and the practice
of nations But his letter d.sproves his
case He describes a pacific blockade as
one OF the various methods. short of war,
such as "reprisals," by which pressure
may be put by one nation on another, and
declares that the "only question" is wheth-
er such pressure is not more humane than
actual war. We have endeavored to show
that humanity is not by any means the
only subject involved: the main question
may often be whether great and wide-reach
ing interests OF third parties are not at
stake. He also undertakes to show that
many international law writer's have ap-
proved pacific blockades. But their appro-
val does not change the practice OF nations,
nor affect the considerations Of which We
have been speaking.
That a pacific block ade may be very ef-
foacious. nobody questions: so may repTis-
ais: but the only writer whom Mr.. Hol-
and actually cites as approving the idea
that II IS binding on anybody whose inter
ssts call upon them 10 disregard Il. is Herr
Rerels OF the Prussian admiralty. II we
had any trade with Crete. and American
ships were TO be overhauled, the act would
be an utterly indefensible outrage.
Oklahoma HUE Revoits.
r.