The Washington times., 1915-01-25

PUPILS 90 y A"S Uho"SA
is worth getting with some care.
TRADE AND CIVILIZATION
That department of international
law which deals with international
commerce in war times has shown
almost no advance since the days
when the general subject was first
formulated in the writings of Gro
thus. Grotius did not use the term
contraband in his writings; that
term in it's present significance was
first used about 300 years ago. The
old theories were developed in a
time when war was almost the chief
business of governments and when
trade was a minor consideration.
Yet to degree that is really start
ling, the world has clung to the old
views of this subject despite that
war has ceased to be the first con-
cern of government and that COM
merce has assumed a vital import
ance that could not be dreamed of
when the first theories on contra
band were formulated.
The workshop world of today has
permitted the international lawmak-
ers to impose a system that places
twentieth century industrialism and
commerce in the shackles Of
medieval practice just as soon as
war breaks out. After perfecting
the instrumentalities of banking,
exchange, transportation and credit,
and developing these to an efficiency
that is the greatest marvel of this
modern worlds cooperative system,
the nations have allowed the tradi-
tion of a barbarous old conception
of commerce to be riveted upon
them. The present theory of contra
band dates back to a time when
commerce was by barter; when
Rome was the great world power;
when provinces were farmed out to
favorites to be ruled and looted; !;
when trade was disreputable, and
industry as the modern world knows
it was unheard of. Trade is the very
lifeblood of the modern world; every
generation sees it more important; !;
yet it cannot, seemingly, be lifted
above the plane of ages when high
sea commerce was mere adventure,
and piracy laid the foundations of
half the great fortunes.
1t is true, as Mr.. Bryan says in
his letter to Senator Stone, that the
United States record on contraband
has not always been above criticism.
Assuredly it has not. But the United
States has been swept along before
the power of these medieval and an
cient traditions which amount to a
suspension of civilized relationships
and a resumption of the rule of
piracy whenever war breaks out.
Every nation has been able in
times of peace to appreciate the ad-
vantages of better adjustment of
these things. Every nation, as soon
as it went to war, has been disposed
to revert to the old barbaric prac-
tices if they would serve it's purpose.
The British government will doubt
less seize the Dacia, and condemn
her; and the British prize court S
opinion might be written in Ian
guage of the admiralty c0~cts and
the Supreme Court of the United
States. We have been no better, no
worse, no more civilized, no less bar
barous, than the rest of the nations.
But this is no good reason why
forever the world should 60 on un-
der a system that menaces it with
commercial savagery at an hours
notice. The international practice
regarding search, seizure, contra
band, trade of neutrals, and all these
subjects cannot be reorganized, of
course, in time of war. But when
peace comes once more, the great
nations which have provided telling
appeal to present-day sense of
humor by calling themselves civil
lied, should be induced to take up
and settle these questions in modern
fashion. In this effort the United
States is the obvious leader. 1t will
have the sympathy of every neutral
that has suffered by the war; of ev-
cry minor country that stands to be
the victim of piratical practices in
future wars; of every great COM
mercial interest in the great coun-
tries. The twentieth century might
leave a far less testimonial to its
advance in enlightenment, than the
single accomplishment of escaping
from the wretched complex of pirac,
and savagery that is called the law
Of bo nd