Imperial Valley press., 1917-02-15
THE FREEDOM OF THE SEAS.

be induced agree For centuries of course thern
not any pretense of freedom of the and ship
could sail the high without danger of pi
racy than man could make a journey across his own
country without danger from robbers Even when the
Sixteen century had brought some measure of safety
from piracy to the tall ships that crossed the
great oceans there sprang up the whole of the Buc
cancers and Of the shpmasers sailing with letters of
feprisap and letters Of marque Not, indeed, until
Stephen Decatur had brought the Dey of Agiers the
Bey of Tuns and the Bashaw of Tripo to their knees
and Lord Exmouth had crushed the forts of Agiers
der his guns, and practically driven the Jolly Roger
from the high could it be said that the freedom of
the seas was established in time Of peace; whilst
today the question of what the freedom of the may
may net mean in time Of war; is decidedly an open
4nestion
1t was to this last aspect of the question: of course
that the president audng in his recent speech be-
fore the Senate Mr.. Wilson did not do than
ton the subject as of the questions which would have
to be settled before the United States could in his opn
on think Of joining any league for the preservation of
peace. What his views therefore, the subject
are it is impossible to say, but is not iegtimate to
presume that they would resemble somewhat the terms
of the code prepared by the American Institute of Inter-
national Law at the request of Mr.. Lansing:
Now in this code practically the whole of the exist
ing international law the subject Of maritime warfare
is eXpunged whilst international doctrine is
up not only differing from but completely contradictory
to all existing enactmens The code that is to say
abollshes blockade entirely prohibits interference with
mails; insists that merchant ships both of beIgerents
and neuras shall be free from CAPTURE and denies the
right of visit and search. goes indeed beyond
IL,
be confscated sunk though their cargoes may be
confscaed destroyed in the event of capture Such
terms would of course constitute complete freedom Of
the for all nations They would confne maritime
warfare fleet actions and the right to seize and de-
stroy conraband cargoes AS, however, Senator Lodge
pointed out in his recent speech to the Senate there
one remarkable omission from these exceedingly widely
drawn provisions. 1t is the failure much to
tion mines of any description Yet there conceiv-
able danger to the freedom of the equal to that Of
the sreWng of contact mines on the high seas Such
haSh tho
struggle and with it the dangers of upon the
have been increased hundredfod. Dangerous as such
mines are, at all times their danger is multiplied ndef-
ntey when instead Of becoming automatically extinct
they left floating alive to the imminent danger of any
ship crossing their path It is manifest therefore, that
code defining the freedom of the SEAS could possibly
be regarded as sound which did not contain the most
carefully worded provisions with respect to the use of
mines 1t is quite dangerous enough when stationary
mine field drags its anchors and floats out across the
traffic lanes OF the high SEAS but it is difficult to find
word to describe the danger when live contact mines are
strewn haphazard across and about the ordinary sea
lanes.
Supposng, however, an acceptable code could be
agreed upon for the regulation of warfare the high
SEAS there would still remain the tremendous difficulty
Ct the enforcement Of such CODE 1t must be obvious
TO anyone that such code would rest for execution upon
treaties Unfortunately however of the worst blows
which the present has delivered against civilization
has been contained in the fact that the world in
has gained the impression that there are nations more
willing to sign than to observe treaties.
It is perfectly plain, Mr.. Wilson pointed out that
the decisions of any peace league could only be
by the major force of the world powers 1t followers con
sequenty that combination of certain powers resolved
repudate the authority Of such league could strong
enough reduce the enacments of the league to the value
of waste paper Take for instance the condition of things
existing at the outbreak of the present war; Supposne
the governments of Germany and the United Kingdom t
have united upon joint action there can hardly be an,
question that the fleets of these powers could have
OverbOrne the naval strength of the rest of the world
1t may be argued that the statement of such
bnationis itself redutcio ad absurdum but few year
ago it would not have been held greater absurdity thar
the idea that Bulgaria and Turkey would combine agains