The Washington times., 1916-02-16
AMERICA COMING OUT RIoHr

not DC bhuiy restricteu.
AMERICA COMING OUT RI0HT
America, after all. Is likely TO land
on the right, the humane, and the
legally sound side Of the question Of
merchant ships carrying arms. The
Administration, after what would
seem quite needless hesitation and
vacillation, Is now reported to lean
toward the view that international
law must not be changed during the
progress of q war. In the past, the
fright Of merchant vessels TO carry
arms for purpose of defense has
been universally recognized. Ameri-
can ships have exercised this right,
and ships Of enemy countries have
exercised II against US, without
thought Of protest on either side.
II was hard to believe that as the
price Of the far from satisfactory
'settlement which Berlin has granted
in the Lusitania case, Washington
would grant 30 great concession to
Germany as would have been in
volved in the agreement that mer-
chant ships might not arm to de-
fend themselves. Never in naval
history has 80 deadly or SO con-
scienceless an enemy Of peaceful
shipping been turned loose to infest
the seas, as the submarine under the
black flag Of the won. Tirpitz admir-
atty. To, Hdeny merchantmen the
privilege Of arming against It would
have been weli-nigh equivalent to
surrendering all right to the seas as
the property and facility OF COM
merce. II would have meant that
America, with more. at stake in free
dom Of the seas than any other coun-
try save only Britain, would have
yielded everything It's past has se-
cured, and everything its future re-
quires.
But TO accept that rule would have
meant still more than this. II would
have been q vicious violation of our
neutrality. For It is q recognized
rule In international practice that the
, conditions Of war may not be
changed after the conflict has be-
, gun. The Berlin rule, to which we
have been asked to subscribe, would
D have arrayed as iniifavor Of return
? TO the worst practices Of medieval
: piracy. II would have done this,
moreover, =islza sSfashion sthat would
, have branded ..Ie American nation
) as little less than cowardly. We
: would have looked to the world like
8 cringing towards. II was q conces-
: sion that in self-respect and common
0 decency this country could not make,
{ Fortunately for the nation and fo1
: itself, the Administration has dis
8 covered before it is too late the full
gravity Of the issue.
There is disquieting suggestion
however, that the Washington au.
thorities may decide upon restric.
3 ltions Of merchantmen,s armament
s such as will render It almost value
!, less. The question must yet be an.
swered, how much armament, ant
n how effective, shall merchantmen bs
v allowed to carry when they cleal
/ from or enter American ports. Al
= present ship Of peace may carr,
= guns. mounted on the stern. Of any
e caliber up to six inches. It Is init
= mated that, as a gun Of such cali
q Der might possibly shoot farther
/ than any projectile Of submarine
would carry, the submarine might b.
o placed in danger Of attack by th'
e merchantman; therefore, as the mer
IS chantman must be equipped only TO
e defense, but never for offense, it i
e proposed to reduce very greatly tn
II size and effectiveness of guns thu
Ie mounted.
10 The answer to this would seem b
It be that SO long as a merchant ship
E guns are mounted at the stern ther
is small danger Of a submarine get
/ ting into trouble with them unles
g it seeks trouble. A broad-bowe
Je merchantmen Is unlikely to back to
l. ward a submarine, get into range
le and then shoot at the under-wate
W contrivance. If the submarin
10 doesn't want to risk trouble, !
E. should avoid stern chases. The righ
IN to escape, or to attempt escape, ha
er not heretofore been denied to mel
st chant ships; why should it be denie
It nowl
g THE STATE AS A ChAPERON