New-York tribune., 1907-06-16
COMNERCE IN WAR.

Among the questions which will be conslo-
cred at The Hague, and in which this country
is specially interested is that of the status of
private property at sea in time of war The
proposal has been made, and will doubtless be
urged. that 1t should have the same privileges
and immunites private property on land
and that. with the exception of goods which ere
contraband of war. the commerce of a beilig-
erent should be exempt from destruction or
capture The attitude of various nations tow
ard that proposal may he expected TO vary ac-
cordng to the extent of their commercial inter
ests and the probable power of their navies TO
protect their own commerce and to ravage the
commerce of others. Apart from such consld-
erations. also, the proposal will receive some
support on the humanitarian ground that the
horrors of war should be, so far as possible
mtigated and should be confined to the actual
combatants. The modern practice of civilized
nations has established. with few exceptions
the general principle of exempting pirate
property on land from confscation and private
industries from interference and there has un-
questionably been growing and strengthening
a sentiment in favor of extending the same rule
70 private property and enterprise at sea.
1t is of somewhat striking interest. there
fore. 10 hear strong and authoritative voice
raised against any such rule. and that for the
sake. not OF war. but of peace In the cur
rent number of The National Review" 0-on-
dom Captain Mahan discusses at length and
with mis- accustomed ucidity of expression and
persuasive power the general question of mari
time capture in war, and emphatically con
cludes that the congress at The Hague could
do much better than 10 exempt private property
from capture IT, indeed. il would be we'll 10 do
that al all. which he greatly doubts. He points
ont with wealth of historical citation. the
vast importance in war not only of sea power
as represented by militant navies, but also of
uninterrupted commercial activities. Upon
the maintenance of commerce depends the
vitality of n state. Destroy or blockade its
commerce and one Of the heaviest blows is in
ficted-such as was inflicted upon Bonaparte
by Great Britain. and upon the Confederate
States by the United States navy. To grant
immunity to the commerce of a belligerent.
therefore. he argues. would be not so much an
amelioration of war an incentive TO war and
a cause of prolongation of wars. since it would
make war less effective. less costly and less
TO be feared.
Whatever tends 10 make war more effect
i've" he says-that is. more costly to the enemy
tends 10 shorten it and 10 prevent it. Con
versely. whatever makes war less effective and
less costly increases the likelihood of war and
tends 10 prolong it when it does occur There
fore. he would not exempt private property
from seizure. On the contrary. he would rather
abrogate the rule of the Declaration of Paris
that 'the neutral flag covers enemys goods,
with the exception of contraband of war
| a rule. by the way. TO which the United States
has never yet become party and would au-
thorize the seizure of an enemy's property at
sea wherever found. even under neutral flag.
In addition he would forbid n neutral in time
of war TO increase its own tonnage in carry
ing for a belligerent over that practiSed
in peace: he would make the crews Of blockade
runners subject 10 treatment as prisoners Of
war and he would forbid the extensions of
loans 10 beIligerents by neutral capitalists In
such fashion, he believes, would he made
more effective and therefore less likely to occur,
and of shorter duration when il did occur.
There is doubtless much force in Captain
Nahans arguments. Sherman said War Il
hell and you cannot refine it, Captain Mahan
adds that you should not attempt to refine it.,
at least. in this respect lest you incite nations
10 resort 10 II more frequently. II will, how
ever. readily occur to mind that this very prin-
ciple urged by Captain Mahan would. if car
red To its full extent, re-estahlsh all the hor-
rors of the most savage wars Of old. including
the plundnrng of cities. the cOnfiscation of pri-
vate property and the butchery of prisoners
and of non -combatants. Restoration of such
practices would certainly make more effec-
i've. 10 DuTn Tie cltlCS anu raNd2e the Helds OF
a nation would be 10 destroy its vitality and it's
resisting power as much as il would be 10 destroy
or seize its maritime commerce. OF course Cap
tain Mahan does not propose, does any
humane and rational man propose. to go TO
such an extreme Yet somewhere n line must
be drawn between making war intolerably ter
rible and making IL Intellectual. In land war
fare that line has been pretty well drawn. but
at sea it is vet TO be defined. and to the deter
mination Of it this distinguished member of the
| former congress at The Hague whether we
agree with him or not, has contributed some
exceptionally suggestive and impressive
thoughts.