The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-06-09
THOSE FLOATING MINES.

has been done by them TO TREND ana
foe Soun after the beginning of hos
Utilities the japanese planted line of
mines across the entrance to the har-
Dor of Port Arthur and lured the
Petropavlovsk out to destruction. At
that time the Russian Minister of the
Interior is reported to have exclaimed
Indignantly that, 1.-THE wholesale scat
tering of these engines of destruction
at points where they may easily drift
into the path of the marine commerce
of the world, to the common danger,
can in no wise be regarded as admis-
sible." IL reports are correct, how
ever, the Russian commander at Port
Arthur took different view of the
matter and at the first opportunity he
strewed floating mines along the usual
track of the Japanese feet and re
ported that he saw the japanese bat
tleship, Hatsuse, sunk and another
battleship of unknown name crippled
as the result of his labors.
Neutral nations were suddenly
aroused to the dangers of this kind of
warfare when the despatch boat of
the London Times passed two OF the
floating mines near Wei-hai. wei,
hundred miles from Port Arthur.
Since then the Chicago Daily News
boat is reported to have passed eight,
and Chinese junks are said to be
picking them up by the dozen, These
floating mines menaclng neutral COM
merce long distances from the seat of
war, and far beyond the waters in
which they could properly be used,
have called forth vigorous protests
from various nations, though as yet
none of the protests have been made
through diplomatic channels. 1t
seems to be generally agreed that the
use of such mines beyond the territor-
ial waters of the combatants is con-
trary to the rules of international
law on general principles though
parallel cases are lacking. The in
TO engage in commerce on the high
seas without danger of destruction by
these floating IL enaces being badly
intringed upon, but whether any of
up the question is very doubtful.
But if some ship, bearing the flag of
neutral nation, should have the
misfortune to be sunk by floating
niue that disaster would probably
bring forth an official protest.
There is one decided difficulty,
however, IN the way of stopping the
use of floating mines-the difficulty
of deciding which nation is the often.
der Here In America there were no
protests heard at the action of the
japanese in setting mines and blow
ing up the Russian ships. The kick
ing began when the Russians returned
the compliment to the japanese and
went them one better The talk is
now about all against the Russians.
but it is hard to see why both nations
should not be treated alike Nobody
has demonstrated the floating mines
that have been found to be of Russian
construction and they may as we'll be
Japanese as Russian. If a neutral
ship should be blown up today by a
floating mine hundred miles from
Port Arthur there would hardly be
any proof to determine which nation
should be approached to secure the
proper indemnity.
Another question, too, makes the
great neutral powers 10th to establish
precedent in this matter. The
methods of sea warfare have been
fast changing in recent years. With
modern warships and modern guns,
distances are not what they were a
hundred years ago. Not one OF the
powers dares to speak against the use
of floating mines for fear it will'bo
the next that will want to use them
Should the United States, for in
stance, protest against floating mines,
it is within the range of possibility
that some time in the near future this
country might become involved in
war with some great power and should
find that the only available method
of protecting some important sea port
from the attack of foreign feet
would be by these same mines. Per.
haps it would be more to the interest
of neutral nations to run few risks
now than to be debarred later from
the same method OF warfare. Inter.
national law is not like other law il
that there is no supreme power to
make and enforce it. AS a result eacf
nation is apt to support or oppose
movements for the restriction of the
actions Of belligerents according al
those restrictions might or might moi
result benefioially to itself. Interna
tional law and the code of interna
tional ethics are far behind the Law
and ethics Of each separate nation
The old adage, "All's fair in love ant