TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1915-01-29

where the universal brotherhood Of
man should be the one and only
text.
The sequel according 10 history,
will be the weakening Of the organ
izations. There will spring up either
religious indifference or d wild
seetarianism with political tendencies,
all Of which cannot be in the interest
Of any country whatsoever. II the
European war H. not considered as q
passing event, as an explosion after
an enormous pressure, II may come
to pass that the supreme teaching on
which alone the hope Of 4 permanent
and lasting peace, Of a better and
holier world, can be based, that OF
the universal brotherhood OF man,
that modest and humble feeling to-
ward the tran|scendcnial, will be
most g%rieyously disturbed and one Of
the fundamental pillars destroyed.
upon which | had sincerely trusted
we would build up the shattered
world again.
What Is the War About
III view OF this grave situation, Of
the absolute necessity OF drawing the
lessons from this universal disaster
and Of stamping out the causes that
brought II about, il Is incumbent on
all independent minds 20 examine
into those causes in order TO find
out, not why the people took up
arms, bit what their ends are and
their ambitions, so that those nations
that are free to express their sen
timents shah speak up and help in
the tight direction.
To my mind the whole fight and
all the Eight is. on the one side, for
an absolute dominion Of the seven
seas and, on the other side, for a
free sea, the traditional mare
hberum.
A free sea will mean a cessation
Of war danger and a stopping Of
world wars.
There is no doubt that the
struggle commenced because Servia
found herself deprived OF an outlet
to the Adriatic sea, in consequence
Of the jealousy Of the Mediterranean
powers. The cause of Servia was
taken UP by the Russian empire,
which is lighting now, as for a
hundred years, for an outlet from
the Black sea. She is fighting Ger
many because OF the Russian feeling
that the way past constantinople
was going over Berlin-a feeling
that seems perhaps justified by the
fact that Turkey has now joined the
dual alliance.
The Japanese, by occupying all the
islands formerly in the possession Of
Germany in the Pacific, want to
strengthen their hold on those
waters and bring them under the
command Of the japanese fleet,
The English have time and again
declared that their dominion Of the
channel and the North sea depended
upon a neutral Belgium; that Britain
MIA must rule the waves as a matter
Of safety for the empire. Germany
has for years back had to prepare a
navy of its own in order 10 protect
its rapidly growing overseas trade in
case Of IN emergency just as has
now arisen. The British have chased
all German merchant vessels from
the high seas, and British statesmen
have repeatedly declared that the
German navy must be utterly de-
stroyed.
America Involved by British Action.
Even the United States, which has
no part in the European struggle,
has had to take up that same fight
with England because Of the viola
ton Of its own doctrines regarding
contraband, the stopping OF the ships,
the searching Of cargoes, the COM
pulsory purchase Of supplies needed
by England and the delaying OF
quite innocent American shipping.
| cannot but consider the whole
situation a most anomalous one.
The British doctrine is that Eng
land must dominate on the high seas,
and her policy has been to fortify
those seas by at least sixty naval
stations all around this continent and
around the whole world That doc
trine leads further Of necessity to
the claim that the British empire
begins at the tree mile limit of other
territory claim that has no founda-
ton either in the law Of nations in
a higher sense or in the feeling Of
the civilized world.
The sea is free to all. II belongs
to no nation in particular, neither to
the British, nor to the Germans, nor
to the Americans. The rights Of tine
contiguous nations cease with the
territorial line OF three miles from
low tide. Any domination exercised
beyond that line is a breach and
infringement on the rights Of the
offers. The sea is the common
property OF all the world, and the
patrolling of the sea by any one
force is a breach and violation OF
that right.
The evidence is now conclusive
that heretofore and for a consider
able time back all mercantile ship
ping has been done under British
permission and tolerance and that
Great Britain could stop it at any
time she chose. She has done So
now, not only in making wal on her
adyersaries, but in taking action to
the very great detriment and disloca-
ton Of the trade Of neutrals.
But the sea IS not only in law a
free territory and the common prop
crty Of all the nations, but it is also
the vital instrument for human activ-
ity in commerce and trade, the lungs