Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-30
We Stand by Our Commerce

IN IT'S effort to starve Germany into sub
mission, England. through her control OF
the seas, has gradually assumed and exercised
rights without warrant or established prec-
edent in international law. She has to all
effects and purposes inhibited commerce be-
tween the United States and Germany, al
though the right Of neutrals to continue dur
ing war to trade with the belligerents, sub
ject TO the law relating to contraband and
blockade, is universally admitted. 1t has
been notably denied in practice only during
the Napoleonic wars, when British orders in
council, in the language of John Bassett
Moore, assumed to dictate the trade in
which neutrals should be permitted to en-
gage or to prohibit them from trading with
belligerents altogether"
The controversy that ragged then was dis
cussed at the time in the Edinburgh Review:
It has long been the anxious business of the
American Minister, appears from the doc
uments before us, to procure by persuasion
abandonment of the measures hostile to the
American trade. He urged his views of
Justice and of general policy: he calmly
bated the preteXts by which he was met; he
boldly and pointedly asserted that the claims
of this country must late, be aban-
doned; and he added what ought never to be
forgotten, that they were unjust, and that
time, therefore, could do nothing for them. His
representations met by declarations of
what his Majesty owed to the honor, dignity
and essential rights of his crown" and by all
the other sounding commonplaces usual on
such occasions. These sentiments were after
ward explained at greater length. and pro-
mulgated to the world in the deliberate record
OF q State paper But in spite of the honor of
Majesty thus pledged to these obnoxious meas
ures, they toere repealed. laborious investi-
CATION into their merits ended in their unqual-
fed reprobation and abandonment; their authors
were unable to look in the face the scenes of
heggary, disorder and wretchedness which their
policy had brought on the country; they
borne down by the cries of suffering millions,
and they yielded at length to necessity what
they had formerly refused to Justice.
The orders in council are practically in
effect today. Not only has our trade with
Germany practically been annihilated with
out declaration of blockade, but the trade of
ourselves, neutral, with other neutrals, has
been harassed without warrant and seriously
interfered with The right of search, which
should be tactfully and not wantonly exer-
cised, has been carried to an absurd point
Our vessels have been conveyed into British
ports and held there pending tedious pro-
ceedings, at great financial loss. Ultimate
destination has been inquired into in the most
extravagant manner and it is safe to assert
that an American cargo consigned to any
port in all Europe is liable to such Interrupt
tion OF its voyage by the Allies navies that
there is no assurance whatever of when, If
ever. It will arrive at its destination. A
maritime hegemony has been assumed that
Is utterly unreasonable and cannot be sus-
tanned either in argument or practice, Let
the Allies blockade Germany and Austria, IL
they can, but they are not justified in waging
what is practically commercial war on us
to achieve their purpose. BY extending vastly
the definition OF contraband they may legally
kin most OF our trade with their enemies,
but no interference with our neutral trade
with neutrals is permissible
The Administration assumedly has stated
the American position vigorously, although
with the utmost friendliness. There need be
no menace in the situation. and should be
none. But in this matter the Government
must stand firmly by its principles, without
hesitation or deviation. and put itself solidly
behind what little merchant marine we have.