Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-19


Pro-German Meeting.
hand not to know that such a state
will never be tolerated by the rest.
Events have shown that world domin-
ion can only be practiced by dominion
Of the high seas; the aim of Germany
is to have the seas as well as the mar
rows kept permanently open for the
free use of all nations in times of war
as well as in times of peace. The sea
is nobody's property and must be free
to everybody. The seas are the lungs,
from which humanity draws a fresh
breath of enterprise and they must
not be stopped up. I personally would
not even go SO far as to neutralize all
the seas and narrows permanently by
a common and effective agreement
guaranteed by all the powers. so that
any infringement on that score would
meet with the most severe punishment
that can be meted out to any trans
gressor.
(3) A free sea is useless. except
combined with the freedom Of cable
and mail communication with all
countries, whether belligerent or not
should like to see all the cable joint
ly owned by the interested nations
and world mail system oversee es-
tablished by common consent. But
more than this, an open sea demands
an open door policy. This means that
while every nation must have the
right for commercial and fiscal pur-
! poses to impose whatever duties il
| thinks fit, these duties must be equa
| for all exports and imports for what
| ever destination or from whatever
source. 1t would be tantamount tc
world empire in fact, if a country own
| ing a large part Of the globe coulG
make discriminating duties between
the motherland and dominions Of col
| cnies as against other nations. This
| has been of late the British practice
| German colonies have always beer
! open to every conner, including the
motherland on equal terms. Sucf
| equality of treatment should be the
established practice for all the future
The only alternative to an open sea
| and free intercourse policy would be
a Chinese wall around each country
| If there is no free intercourse, every
| country must become self sufficient
| Germany has proven that it can be
| done. But this policy would mean very
! high customs barriers, discrimination
| unbounded egotism and a world brid.
ling in arms. While the free sea pol
| icy stands for the true aims Of inter
| national relations, namely. in exchange
| Of goods, which must benefit either
party, to be mutually satisfactory, II
will engender friendly feeling among
all the peoples, advance civilization
and thereby have sure tendency to.
| ward disarmament.
O Germany has been taxed will
| disregarding treaty obligations, tear.
| ing up as scrap Of paper solemn
! engagement Of international character
| regarding Belgium. 1 have the les:
reason to enter into this matter since
if it was a breach of international
law at all-it has been followed up b,
all other belligerents by destroyins
| other parts Of that code so essential t.
| the welfare of the community Of ma.
lions. Two German men, of-war have
been destroyed in neutral waters. The
protests that the government Of thi:
country had to make against Grea,
| Britain's treatment of internationa
/ sea law and the rights Of the neutral.
are too numerous to be recounted
Chinese neutrality has been violated
In the grossest way. In disregard o.
| all conventions China is now beine
| subjected to demands incompatibIt
with the rights of self-respecting ma
ton. Egypt and Cyprus have been an.
nexed by Great Britain, disregardins
all treaties. Germanys diplomatic rep.
resentatives have been driven .fron
| China, Morocco and Egypt, all coun.
| tries sovereign at the time. The Dec.
| laratlon OF London, which has beer
| set up by the government of the Unit.
ed States. as the government dozen.
ment, had to be dropped as such
| There is practically no part of inter
national law that could stand the fest
| Justice towards neutrals compels tina
international law should be re-estab.
hshed in codified form with sniff.
clent guarantees, so as to save as ia,
as possible, all the neutrals from nos.
slble implication in a war, in whic,
they do not take part.
| (5) Germany does not strive To-
territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT in Europe
| she does not believe in conquering ant
subJugating unwilling nations, this o,
account OF spirit of justice and he
knowledge Of history. No such at
tempts have ever been permanent,
successful. Belgium commands tn,
main outlet Of Western German trade
Is the natural foreland of the empir,
and has been conquered with untol,
sacrifice Of blood and treasure. It Of
fers to German trade the only Quite
to an open sea and it has been DO
htically established, maintained ant
defended by England in order to kee,
these natural advantages from Ger
many. The love for small peoples tina
England heralds now will never stan,
investigation. as shown by the de
struction Of the small Boer Republics
So Belgium cannot be given up. How
ever. these considerations could b.
disregarded if all the other Germa,
demands, especially a guaranteed fire.
sea, were fully complied with and III
natural commercial relations Of Bel