Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-05-17
PROTECTING NoN-coMBATANTs ON
.%.~ THE SEAS. H..

Americas note to Germany and the semi
official suggestion in Berlin that the entir
issue thus brought up be referred to a court Q
arbitration presents numerous interesting pos
sibilities. Some of these were mentioned yes
terday in despatch from Washington whicl
includes the following:
solution has put forward by some students
Of international law. They suggest that the traffic
In passengers and contraband be divorced-that Is,
that no passenger liner be allowed to carry contra
band of war; -. ..."..
To enectuate this divorce, it is proposed that the
government refuse clearance papers to vessels of
beigerent natonalities carrying both passengers
and contraband.
There was also talk yesterday that the Allies
might announce that hereafter none of their mer-
chant ships will go armed. The Lusitana was I'M
armed but the fact that some British merchantmen
have carried guns is of the Qualifications adj
vanced by Germany for sinking merchant ships
without warming :... -
Now it is hardly likely that Germany woulo
agree to either of these proposals. To do 81
would protect neutral shipping and passenger
in belligerent ships, to be sure, but without
advantage to Germany and with decided adj
vantage to the Allies. Germany would aban
don the submarine warfare on merchant vessels
without measurably lifting the Allies food
blockade, on which her submarine campaign
was based
If, for instance, the traffic in passengers anc
contraband be divorced, the Allies would suffer
little They have at their disposal an enormous
number of ships flying the British or Frencf
flag With the danger of torpedoing removed
they would have no difficulty in securing char
tiers for as many merchant vessels of neutra
nations America, Italy, Greece, Norway
Sweden, Denmark-as they needed. Passenger
traffic is a very small item to the Allies JUS
now. To get assurance that Germany wonle
stop her submarine war, they could well affore
to turn all British, French and Russian steam
ers into freighters, carrying nothing from thu
United States but war munitions and supplies
But they would not need to turn all the pas
senger steamers into freighters for contraband
Britain could draw upon thousands upon thou
sands of vessels all around the globe, devote
some exclusively to passengers and others ex
clusively to freight, and maintain an enormous
overseas traffic without let or hindrance.
Germany is not at all likely to abandon hel
submarine war under such an agreement al
this.
Take the second suggestion-that the Allies
might guarantee that none of their merchan
ships would go armed, with the proviso, under
stood, that Germany would then order stol
IN the submarine war on commerce.
This would meet with much the same objec
ton from Germany as the others. 1t would
benefit the Allies without beneftting Germany
The Allies would gladly disarm their merchant
men if Germany would stop the submarine war
With the powerful British fleets controlling al
the sea-lanes, the merchant vessels of tn,
Allies could be effectively guarded agains
raiding cruisers or battleships. Germany
only hope of striking against British trade il
BY the submarine
The sinking Of the Lusitania has given Grea
Britain more reason than ever before to arm
her merchantmen, unless the Germans definite
" abandon the submarine campaign.
Neither Of the suggestions advanced yester
day is likely to meet favor in Berlin. The in
timation in the Vossiche Zeitung that the Ger
man government might ask for a court of arbi
tration is probably "feeler" from the gov
eminent itself. But until the American note i
considered thoroughly, Germany's course viii
remain matter of speculation. 1t is NOR
than likely that Berlin will require, as TIN
paramount condition, that the Allies lift tn
food blockade and allow cargoes for civilian
free access to Germany.
In the meantime, the United States has takel