Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-06-23
FREEDOM OF THE SEAS.

Dr.. Dernburg's final word to the
people Of the United States was his
best, word. He hoped for q cont thu
ance OF the long and sincere friend
ship between this country and Ger
many, U" whose interests are INSOFAR
ably 3intertwined In many respects,
and not the least In that they both
need and demand the freedom OF the
seas. ?ty .5s.5.j &C 49,
IT. is the freedom of the, seas
for which President Wilson has been
pleading. There can be no true
freedom OF the seas except as inter-
national law Is everywhere respected.
Nations at war have the freedom
Of the seas as far as their naval
power extends. Where their naval
power ends, international law pro-
rects, or should protect, even bel
ugerents. ~ =" .., ! - 4
L German; shipping has abandoned til
sea because the naval power of the
empire has not been exerted. If Ger:
man merchantmen were on every
imperiously than Germany upon the
full benefits Of International law.
/ A sweeping naval triumph by Ger
AAAe1Ayttt ~ s06IlAd1l
commerce. II in that case Britain
4 France stnaugurated against it a
murderous submarine warfare, does
Germany imagine that our protests
would be any the less vigorous?
There can be no absolute freedom
Of the seas for belligerents, In war
time, but as between neutrals en-
gagged in lawful trade there is not
in law. any question of their rights.
The so-called war, zones of Europe
have been made regions Of outlawry.
AS blenders of, the freedom of the
seas, II we have been compelled
to deal more urgently with Germany
than with Britain, because Germany
takes American life, whereas Britain,
as yet, has taken only American
property. =, @t.,
! What is called the British blockade
Of Germany is in fact a blockade Of
neutral nations. 1t Is therefore VIC
lation Of the freedom of the sea, not
because 1t stops trade with German
ports, which is >, legitimate war
measure, but because It stops trade
between neutral ports. IS
We are interested in the freedom
Of the seas as neutral. Germany
at the moment is interested in the
freedom of the seas as belligerent.
Aside from war, our only recourse is
to law and good conscience. Being
at WAR, Germany's first recourse
should be its ships and guns and
the valor Of its men,. %&
At war or at peace, no nation can
hope for. genuine freedom Of the
seas unless International law pre-
walls. The freedom of the seas was
established not by the corsairs of
the Barbary coast or by the pirates
Of the Spanish main, but in spite of
them. Interrupted as it now is by
the excuses Of Germany and Great
Britain, it will survive and reassert
itself, and those who now flout it or
misrepresent it will presently make
haste to avail themselves Of its adj
vantages. II
Standing squarely for international
law against all offenders, no matter
what their excuses, the United States
is safeguarding the interests OF the
belligerents as well as its own.
Those who, like DR.. Dernburg, would,
as he says, restore the freedom of
the seas must distinguish between
fighting and freebooting, between
friends and foes, between law and
There is no other way.
1t is respect for international law,
accepted in this case by Germany's
enemies, that gives DR.. Dernburg'
safe conduct to his home. There are
no safe conducts where international
law is in ruins and; the submarine
rules by stealth and assassination.