The Washington herald., 1914-12-23
AMERICAS Want
Fighters TO GO
Nations Would Clear Western
Waters Of War 0per-
ations.
HAVE NO LEGAL GROUND
Expect Public Opinion to Broaden
Neutrality Rights Beyond Estab-
ished Limitations.
HAVE NO LEGAL GROUND
By VICTOR ELLIOTT.

ITO clear the western hemisphehe OF
the last vestige Of wariike operations by
the European belligerents, and to wresi
even the weakest Battn-American repub-
lie fram suspicion Of Europeans in
nuence and control" Is the avowed OBJ
ject OF a group Of diplomats in Wash
ington.
They already have informally ap-
preached the state Department on the
subject They have sounded out AIneri-
can public opinion. with view 20 swing
ing American support behind the project
which will bring a genuine Pan-Ameri-
canlsm many decades closer than It would
otherwise have been.
The immediate object Of the propa-
gsnda Is to drive the various German.
British, and French cruisers now In Latin
and North American waters out Of range.
It is true there is no legal warrant for
such a campaign, as the war vessels OF
the belligerents have a perfect right 70
indulge in as much fighting as they wish
along American coasts. provided they are
outside the three-mile limit.
Nevertheless, the diplomats believe they
can persuade the European powers 1t
will be best for their own interests to
take their ships into other waters and
leave all American shores FREQ from the
echoes of their broadsides.
Expect U. s. to Aid.
The United States is not expected tc
support the movement oficially. It goes
without saying that, purely as an aca-
demic question, the Washington govern
ment is thoroughly in favor Of neutraliZ-
ing international law or in The Hague
conventions which enables the State De-
partment to press such a request effec-
lively through ordinary diplomatic means.
The European beIligerents would point
out to the United States, and to the
Latin-American states, that they have
interests to protect in the western hem
isphere. particularly Great Britain. in
cluding Canada, British Honduras. ia
maica, Bermuda, and many other archi-
pelagoes.
However. IL II became known in Eu-
rope that the bulk Of sentiment In all
the American nations was strongly in
favor OF the naval naturalization above
referred to, it would have its effect, and
probably nullify the prospect Of a big
engagement between British and German
ships in American waters. That, at least,
lie the stand taken by the Latin-Ameri-
can diplomats, aided and supported by
the Pan-American Union and other
groups closely in touch with Pan-Ameri-
can interests.
As long as war vessels cruise in Ameri-
can waters, just so long will irritation
and suspicion arise regarding questions
OF the strict observance of the neutrality
laws by the various nations. Chilli and
Bolivia declare they already have had
enough OF these complications.
Great Britain recently called into ques-
ton the good faith OF Ecuador. CoIom-
bia, and Peru, in their observance OF
neutrality. The United States has not
kept free OF these embroilments, for
Great Britain recently asked this govern
ment to use its best Offices to prevent a
recurrence Of neutrality violations in the
future.
Furthermore. neutral shipping has been
interefered with, as Is instanced in the
case of the merchantmen Sacramento.
This vessel, now Of American registry,
left San Francisco bound for Valparaiso,
Chill, with 5000 tons OF coal aboard. She