The Washington times., 1914-12-29
NEUTRALITY AND TRADE


1t is at least an interesting coinci-
dence that almost precisely on the
centennial anniversary of the peace
treaty between the United States
and Great Britain which ended the
War of 1872, this country should be
dispatching protest to the London
government against British treat
ment of American maritime COM
merce, that recalls wildly some of
the very practices which brought on
the war of 100 years ago.
The War of 1912 was forced upon
this country by persistent British
interference with American shipping
during the period of the French
revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.
Then, the Continent and Great Brit
ain were allied against France; to-
day the Continent and Great Britain
are allied against Germany and Aus
tria. Then, it was the purpose of
Britain and her allies to shut off
France from commercial intercourse
with the outside world; now it is
the purpose of Britain and her al
lies to accomplish the same end as
to Germany and Austria and starve
them into inability to maintain their
struggle.
The ends for which. the United
States made the War of 1912 were
not gained. Nothing but splendid
diplomacy in the Client peace con-
ference, which lasted from August
till near the end of the year, saved
the United States from either con-
tinuing the war indefinitely or max
ing humiliating concessions in the
treaty; for at the beginning the
British ENJOYS made most prepos-
ferrous demands, affecting naviga-
ton of the Mississippi river, and
even insisting that a great area Of
the Northwest Territory be set aside
as a sort of buffer state between the
United States and Canada, to be &C.
cupied by the Indian tribes that had
served as allies of Britain. These
conditions were bitterly opposed and
at length withdrawn; and when the
peace was made it left the original
status practically unchanged.
So now, because an unsuccessful
war failed hundred years ago to
move Great Britain to withdrawal
from her pretensions on the sea.
some of those same troublous oues-
tons have stalked forth, like Ban
quo's ghost, TO plague the relations
Of the two countries in connection
with another war of all Europe.
Britain, indeed, has not attempted
impressment of American seamen
this time; but American ships of
commerce have been interfered with
in ways that have made it unproft-
able and impossible to maintain neu-
trail commerce with Europe. These
acts of the London government have
at length become responsible for the
protest now lodged by our State De-
partment with Downing street.
1t is not to be suspected that in
present world conditions a diplomatic
discussion of these ancient issues
can possibly result in a conflict. |
Great Britain's right to use her COM
mand of the sea to shut off Ger
many from the advantages of free
commerce with neutrals is not effec- !
lively TO be questioned. Our own
Government, during the civil war,
maintained the same right to block |
ade the Confederacy, and maintained
it with all the skill of Mr.. Stewards |
and all the determination
of Mr.. Lincoln's Administration. 1t
is the misfortune of Germany that
today she is at war, and that her |
enemy has control of the seas. Brit |
ain claims the right to buy supplies
where she can, subject to the chance
of getting them delivered; and her
sea power substantially insures de-
livery. That was Just the same sit
uation that the Confederacy occu-
pied after the North had perfected
its blockade of the South Atlantic
and Gulf ports. British interference
with American cargoes destined to
ports has been based on the