Omaha daily bee., 1916-02-19
LAW OF SEA TWO
CENTURIES old,
SAYS Mr.. LODGE
Senator Holds that Any Change Of
Policy Now Would Be Clear
Violation Of Neu-
trality.
MEANS STEP TOWARD WAR
Refusal to Clear Merchant Ship
Armed for Defense Would Make
U. S. Ally Of Kaiser.
WILSON'S FIRST POSITION RIGHT


WASHINGTON, Feb. 1s.-Senator
Lodge, ranking minority member OF
the foreign relations committee,
made speech in the senate today.
declaring that abandonment by the
United States at this time OF the
principle that its ports were open to
and It's citizens free TO travel upon
merchantmen OF belligerent nations
armed solely for defensive purposes,
would be an unneutral act and a step
toward war, He said II would make
the United States the ally OF the bell
l'gerent whose merchant marine had
been swept from the seas.
As late as the presidents note OF Nav
i3, 1918. signed by Mr.. Bryan, Senator
Lodge said. this government recognized
that American citizens were within
their 'indisputed rights in taking their
ships and In travelling wherever their le-
gitimate business calls them upon tho
high seas"
Law Two Centuries old.
'such," he added has been the prac-
tice OF all nations in regard 20 the armed
merchantmen. II seems utterly incred-
ible that this position should be IN any
way altered now or that our government
should be ready to surrender the un-
questioned rights OF Americans 10 travel
or ship goods on a belligerent merchant
man subject TO all the rules which have
been established by the courts and by
all international authorities for at least
two centuries The abandonment OF those
rights by any neutral government on the
ground that the invention Of submarines
with the necessary limitations upon the
powers OF capture possessed by those
boats Ia inconceivable. Such abandon
ment could only rest on the ground that
the rights of neutrals. the rules that for
centuries have been agreed upon by all
nations for the protection OF innocent
lives upon vessels captured In war must
be thrown aside and discarded In order
that a new instrument of maritime de-
struction must not be impeded In Its
| work Of death and murder. such doc
trine IL revolting 10 every inatlnct OK
humanity. .te-eSery-F Fsinsapls OF law and
justice.
!. 4 violation of Neutrality.
r'There 10. however. another side to this
matter which Is OF even grayer impor-
any act BY a neutral which alters con-
ditions created by the war IL an unneb-
trail act and places the neutral upon the
side Of one beTiigercnt or the other.
".rhis Is eminently true OF any form OF
embargo. and there is no need that l
should repeat the unanswerable argument
on this point embodied by Mr., Lansing in
his note OF last August TO the government
OF Austria-TIungary. The war, and the
war alone has also created conditions
under which any change at this time in
the attitude which we took officially At
the outset Of the war in regard to armed
merchantmen would be an unneutral
act The merchantmen OF one belligerent
have been swept from the seas. Therefore.
II we should abandon all the principles
i on this subject that we have always
sustained, II we should abandon the rules
laid down by Mr.. Lansing In his circular
Of September. 1914, and declare that our
ports were closed to armed merchant
men, or that goods and passengers from
tho United States could not be placed
on an uncommissioned merchantmen
armed solely for self defense. our action
would affect only one beiligerent; It
would alter conditions created by the
war. and would therefore be unneutrai.
II would make US at once the ally Of tho
belllgerent whose merchant marine has
been driven from the ocean. 1t would
be IA step toward war.
Direct step Toward war.
81 cannot believe that the administra-
ton thinks for a moment OF altering the
we'll defined position which II took at the
outset OF the European war. and believe
that Il must stand as firmly on this
question as II has on the question OF the
embargo. Should II act otherwise II would
accept a humiliation and incur a danger
OF war from which even the boldest and
most interruptions would shrink"
Senator Sterling OF South Dakota spoke
on his resolution to declare the senate's .
Continued on Page Two. Column Two.)