Evening star., 1915-01-22
Allies Will Seize Ships.

"Supposing the purchase, however. 10
be made, the transfer of these ships to
our flag would follow. Then the ques
tion at once arises as to whether the
belligerents opposed to Germany would
recognize their transfer. ] do not in
tend to dwell on this point. but this
much will say, that France and Rus
sia have always held consistently to
the doctrine that the transfer of tho
flag from a belligerent to a neutral.
after hostilities had begun, was not to
be recognized.
Although Sir Edward Grey in his
dispatch last summer made some
mouIncations in his opposition to the
sale to us OF German ships, as to the
particular trade in which those ships
should be engaged. he also made IL
abundantly clear that England would
object to the transfer ii the ships
We're put into the European trade.
LAS we now have more cargo space
going to South America than We can
fill." continued Senator Lodge. 1T is OBJ
vious that if the ships to be purchased
under this bill are to be of any use
they must be put into the European
trade, SO that we have notice OF the
views of the belligerents in regard to
this question of the transfer of the
flag. If the ships were purchased. the
unneutral act committed. and the ships
transferred to our flag, they would then
go to sea as government-owned ships.
and. in view of the belligerents opposed
to Germany, would still be German
ships. would be regarded as good prize
and liable to be captured or sunk be-
cause they were still German ships
II think / need not enlarge on the
present to the peace and welfare OF
the United States. 1t would not help
our export trade and would bring us
within measurable distance of war. not
Nd oil hrtf "
Russia and Japan.
Only for European Trade.
Senator Lodge read statistics relating
to the German ships of the North Ger
man Lloyd and Hamburg American
lines, showing that they are unsuitable
for South American trading. ,n account
of their size. construction and draft
ITO purchase for the government the
passenger ships would be simply 20
throw away the money of the United
States" Senator Lodge asserted
NO intelligent man would think or
buying these ships. or more than o!-
or two of them. for the alleged pur-
poses of this bill.
buy them, for with care and effort We
could get cargo carriers from our
coastwise trade or from other neutral
nations We could pick up ships of tho
is perfectly evident that the plan OK
the bill and the plan of the admins
tration is TO buy the German ships "a
block. or a very large number of them
Why? l am not alone in asking tbs
question
II confess 1 am entirely unable TO
answer the question. and do not know
that there is anything behind this bti
except the desires of the administra-
tfon. 1 am certain. however, there are
no good arguments in Its favor. and
am sure that to allow it to become law
without some provision protecting Is
against the purchase Of ships OF bel
lieerents, and the consequent interna-
tional complications, will make IL
very bad bill. indeed. for the American
people, setting aside for the moment al
the grave objections to government
ownership, upon which ] shall hope to
speak at another time
Allies Protest Purchase.
"When this matter was first brought
soon after the outbreak of the
war. 1t WAS generally understood, both
here and in Europe. that the intention