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


America note to Germany and the semi
official suggestion in Berlin that the entir,
issue thus brought up be referred to court o
arbitration presents numerous interesting pos
sibilities Some of these were mentioned yes
terday in a despatch from Washington which
includes the following:
solution has been put forward by 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 efectuate this divorce 1t is proposed that the
government refuse clearance papers to vessels of
belligerent nationalties carrying both passengers
and contraband. 4Gasl sag
There was also talk yesterday that the Allies
might announce that hereafter none of their mer-
chant ships will go armed The Lusitania was nn-
armed, but the fact that some British merchantmen
have carried guns is one of the Qualifications adj
yanced by Germany for sinking merchant ships
without warning.
Now it is hardly likely that Germany woulc
agree to either of these proposals To do sc
would protect neutral shipping and passengers
in belligerent ships, to be sure, but without
advantage to Germany and with decided ad
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 enormoln
number of ships flying the British or Frencl
dag. 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 very small item to the Allies JUS
now. TO get assurance that Germany woult
stop her submarine war, they could well affort
70 turn all British, French and Russian steam
ers into freighters, carrying nothing from TIN
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 he1
Submarine war under such an agreement al
this
Take the second suggestion-that the Allies
might guarantee that none of their merchant
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 TIL,
Allies could be effectively guarded agains
aiding cruisers or battleships. Germany
b1y hope of striking against British trade il
the submarine.
he sinking Of the LusitaniasIas given Grea
ia more reason than ever before to arm
erchantmen, unless the Gefpans definite
ndon the Submarine campaign.
.'ther of the suggestions advanced yester
S likely to meet favor in Berlin The in
stion in the Vossiche Zeitung that the Ger
q government might ask for court OF arbl
.lionsis probably ''feeler" from the gov
nnent itself But until the American note !
nsldered thoroughly, GerInany's course vii
nam matter of speculation. 1t is NOR
likely that Berlin will require, as tn
aeunt condition, that the Allies lift tn
''ockade and allow cargoes for civilian