Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-07-15


public street.
International law recognizes the universally as
public highway beyond the threemle limit about every
coast Outside Of these limitations the is the thorough
fare of the whole world which nation can monopoze Inc
German reply gives away Germany whole case when says
THE imperial government welcomed with gratitude
when the American in the note of May Is itself recalled that
Germany had always permitted itself to be governed by h
principles of progress and humanity in dealing with the law
of maritime Since the time when Frederick the Great
negotiated with John Adams BENJAMIN Franklin and thomas
jefferson the treaty of friendship and of Septen
Der 1885 between Prussia and the republic OF the west
German and American statesmen have in fact always stood
together in the struggle for the freedom of the seas ana Tor
the protection of peacable trade 49,
the United States the freedom of the seas it poor
way for Germany to promote that cause now by doing what
we have long arragned England for dong nancy treane
highway.
The fundamental principle for which the United States
either the Germans the English No American
think for moment OF Surenderlng hose international
rights
The assumption of both the Germans and the English has
been that the they engaged in with each other
they had right to prevent Americans and all other neras
from enjoying freedom of the seas In other words both
of those powers their differing bockade have assumed that
war gave them rights superior to those OF neutra on the
high seas.
ment generally recognized control OF the ocean would
fall to the most powerful navy The ocean highway would
would become the payhng might National sovereignty
that would at once lose its meaning the moment
ton entrusted its flag to the seas.
international law and the usages Of nations in
regards the have hitherto been based the sound nd
innate business is entitled to the freedom Of the Seas which
Germany it long sought through cooperation with the
United States.
The only apparent exceptions to this rule have been the
blockade and the right of search Those executions are more
apparent than real however Both the blockade and the right
of search based the larger right of self protection
The principle underlying both Of these warke usages that
A merchant ship which is carrying conraband Of
the does at its peril The only way for nation
at make that the enemy is not being aided by ne
trails in this way is to search all merchant ships ms right
recognized everywhere throughout the world and 1t so
vigorously enforced under universal sanction that any mer
chant ship which refuses to submit to search can be sunk
In the same way the blockade port stretch of
coast has hitherto been regarded as legitimate the idea being
that the enemy being aided by outside commerce 1t
however, for nation undertaking blockade
of port stretch of seacoat to nave actually present
sufficient force of craft to make that blockade efficient
Germany is undertaking to blockade the whole coast OF
England with single warship in sight That is not the
subject Of present contention however just now we
engaged the effort to secure safety tor American lives
on the high seas and not on the sea within the hreeme
limit which international law and all maritime nations have
hitherto recognized under the sovereignty OF the country
concerned
The German reply demand for safety of AMERICANS
the high in effect that England has bockaded Ger
manys entire seacoas and she must retaae imat no
reply whatever to the essence of our demand That is
justification of Germanys course in seeking to blockade Eng
lands coast but it is justification whatsoever of Ger
manys in drowning Americans.
We demanding safety for Americans VINO are mndlng
their business and not for Americans engaged in carrying
contrband of war to Gemays enemies or in extending aid
and comfort to the enemy in any other way We are stand
ing long established right Of all nations to travel
merchant ships certain that such craft would not be sunk IN
and allowed time least to take raft some other
of floating at until rescued.
(ermanys reply to this in effect that they have been
unable invent other way to prevent supplies from reach
ing England than to sink ships without giving them chance
to niure their submarines.
That in effect is practically the argument used by Holt
in placing an Internal machine board the Mnnehaha That
was only way he could prevent supplies from reaching
England There is practically difference between AN in
machine secretly stored inside merchant ship carry
ing and neutral and torpedo secretly
sent against outside of that ship The effect the
same and the principle involved is therefore entirely the
same absurdity of the German contention that it is
justified killing Americans the high seas because this
the only it get at the English thus becomes clearly
manifest.
The clmgng of Germany to this position contrary to
earlier reports Berlin, clearly victory for the mill
ary party Germany The recognition by Germany OF our
right live the high constituting international
highway would have left free proceed at to the
nsistence of rights of commerce.
We had begun proceedings to secure from both England
and Germany recognition of right TO trade with neutral
unmoested by begerent nations when the destruc
ton of American lives at by Germany demanded at
tenon to the higher right of self preservation
We have long asserted that the United States should in
upon rights and the recognition thereof
by Great Britain, How much the should we insist upon
the recognition of such rights by Germany and in add