Evening star., 1915-03-01

did not intend to maintain a blockade
OF the German coast, but would hold
herself at liberty to stop all shipping,
no matter where encountered on the
high seas, if bound to or from Ger
many.
There is no exact precedent for such
a policy. but it was considered likely in
diplomatic circles that discussion as to
its validity and recognition by neutrals
would be based on the theory that a
"blockade" was being attempted.
International law has several rules as
to the maintenance of naval and
commercial blockade, many of which
have been Incorporated in conventions
ratified by the present belligerents as
well as treaties between the United
States and some of the European pow
crS
Declaration of Paris, 1856.
The decla ration of Paris in 1856,
which proclaimed that a blockade, to
fective." has been followed in rules
since adopted by practically all ma
tions. The Hague conference of 1907
added further rules, and in the decla-
ration of London of 1909 was embodied
the generally accepted principles of
blockade. England and France, having
adopted as the basis of their interna- :
tIonal law during the present war the
declaration of London with certain
notifications, that document probably
Will be referred to in diplomatic con-
troversies which may arise over the
proposed step of the allies. One of the
articles of this declaration says:
The seizure of neutral vessels for
violation of blockade may be made
only within the radius of action of the
ship of war assigned to maintain an
effective blockade"
AS toy what constitutes the radius of
action the following explanation Is
given by the United States Naval War
college in one of it's publications as
having been universally accepted:
hen a government decides to un-
dertake blockading operations against
some part OF the enemy coast it as
signs certain number of warships to
take part in the blockade, and in
HSts the command of these to an Of
Icer whose duty is to insure by this
means the effectiveness of the block
ade The commander of the naval force
thus formed distributes the ships
placed at his disposal according to the
connguration of the coast and the geo
places. and gives each ship instructions
as 10 the part she is to play, and espe-
claliy as to the zone intrusted to her
surveiiiance. 1t is all of the zones of
such manner that the blockade is eff
f.ctive. that form the radius of action
Of the blockading force.
Trouble in Assigning Limits.
Cases may occur in which a single
snip viii be enough to maintain a
blockade effectively. 1t does not seem
possible to assign limits to the radius
OF action in definite and unvaryipe fig
ures, any more than it is possible TO
n2 beforehand and Invariably the num-
Der or ships necessary to assure the
effectiveness of any blockade. These
points must be determined according
10 circumstances in each particular
case of blockade
The radius of action of a blockading
naval force may extend somewhat far.
but as 1t depends on the number of
Shlps contributing to the effectiveness
of the blockade, and is always limited
by the condition of effectiveness, 1t will
never reach remote seas upon which
cerchant vessels sail which are, per-
haps, destined for the blockaded ports
but whose destination is contingent
on the changes which circumstances
may produce in the blockade during
their voyage.
Right Of Belligerent.
The idea of radius of action ioined