The Washington times., 1901-07-08

membered that in it's best estate the
little country was landlocked as COM
pletely as Switzerland is, did not pos
sess a single seaport, directly or IN
directly, and, hence, for practical pur-
poses could not have a navy. Even II
the Portuguese Government had leased
the port of Lourenco Marques to the
Transvaalers, it is not probable that
they would have been permitted TO
maintain armed vessels on the high
seas, as they had no coast line to pro
tect, and their foreign relations We're
under the control of suzerain power.
The point may be stretched little. but
there is no question that, if such an at
tempt had been made. Great Britain
would have raised and enforced it
AS matters stand, were MIR. Kruger
and his advisers to engage in such
hare-brained adventure as privateer-
ing, they could only further it by induc-
ing some maritime Power to violate its
neutrality, in permitting the equipment
ofhostle vessels in its ports, and so run
the serious and perhaps certain risk OF
war with the British Empire. But sup
posing that one or more such craft
should manage to elude the vigilance
or take advantage of the official care
Iessness of some Government, and get
out on the high seas, what would be the
consequences? The country which had
permitted a Boer privateer TO escape
from its shores would be sternly re-
minded of its duties as a neutral, and
requested to remember the precedent
of the Alabama, which England allow
ed TO fit out within her jurisdiction
and sail away to prey upon American
commerce. In short, the offending ma
ton would be held to strict accounta-
bility. and there is hardly a question
that the navies of the leading Powers
would be ordered by their respective
Governments to cooperate in hunting
down and arresting the Boer vessel
or vessels.
Whether the officers and crews Of
such vessels would be regarded and
treated as pirates after capture would
merely depend upon the question as to
whether they We're duly licensed under
letters OF marque issued by a -ecog-
nized beIligerent Power. If we could
suppose Mr.. Kruger foolish enough 10
grant such papers, the question Of his
competency as the executive head of
an existent State at once would have
TO be considered and determined. In
his present circumstances and Ihat of
the people he represents it is certain
that the verdict would be against him,
and, in that event, his privateers would
quite as certainly swing from the yard
arm of the first British cruiser they
happened to encounter. The story Is
only worth notice to show how utterly
nonsensical it is. The Old Exile is by
no means lacking in common sense, and
if by any possibility there be crazy pi-
ratical adventures in the world, who
would tempt him to take a course so
silly as to issue letters of marQue,
which he must know would be worth
less in the eyes of the nations, we are
confident that he would show them the
door with Dutch bluntness. But il is
improbable that any such attempt has
been. or will be. made. Piracy in these
days is such sure and speedy death for
the pirate that the profession is not
apt to be embraced by anybody but an
intending suicide, and it might be diff
ficuIt anywhere to muster a sufficient
number of suicides to officer and man
even sloop to sail under the once
common Jolly Roger"