Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-10-09
FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

II Gefman6 nave OVerWOrked the phrase freedom
OF the seas" According to their authorities, the freedom
OF the seas is one Of the main objects for which Ger.
many Is fighting. The phrase sounds we'll, and because
1t does sound well. and because 1t is capable Of beine
given as many interpretations as there are persons who
use it. the German use Of it has created the impression
In . good many quarters that Germany is contending 70,
something that is just and necessary.
y Germany claims that by means Of her great navy
Great Britain has deprived her and all other great ma
tons of the freedom of the seas. Let us see. It IL true
that Great Britain has q greater navy. than any other
II 1t were not so it would be strange indeed. Great Brit
ain Is the center Of an empire which, in. territorial ex.
tent and population. Is the greatest that the world ma,
even seen. Not only is It immense in area. but its vari-
Gus members are scattered throughout the globe. Aus
tralia, New Zealand. Canada, Africa, Egypt, are all dis.
tant from the home country and from each other, and
for their security and for the protection Of their com.
municatons with each other and with the central king.
dom a vast sea power is Indispensable. Add to this the
fact that the kingdom which is the center Of this vast
empire, and the most denssly peOpled Of its Members. IL
an island. situated but a few miles from the European
mainland, where nations have from time immemorial
warred with each other for supremacy. The United
Kingdom. with its forty million people, is necessarily a
commercial and manufacturing, rather than a food pro-
ducing country. 1t is dependent on the rest Of tht world
for much Of the raw material which 1t uses in it's manu-
features. and for three fourths Of the food that 1t eats
All Of that raw material, and all of that food, must come
to 1t by sea, and were its ocean trade to be interrupted
Great Britain would be starved in a few weeks. Grea,
Britain must maintain a vast fleet Of merchant vessels
to serve her economic needs, and she must maintain a
force Of war vessels sufficient in size and number to pro-
tect that fleet against all Corners. Therefore, because
her need is greater than that Of any other nation, Grea,
Britain has the greatest navy in the world, under the
conditions which have prevailed in the world any other
course would have been suicidal.
What has this navy done to aggrieve Germany? Has
German commerce been attacked or German freedom OF
action been assailed? In time of peace German ships OF
all classes have been free to sail the seas at will. Not only
have they been unmolested on the open sea, but they and
the ships of all other countries have been admitted to
British ports all over the world on exactly the same
terms that are given to British ships. It does not appear
that there has been any interference with the freedom OF
the seas in time Of peace.
Germanys complaint has been because Of war con.
ditons. Her navy is smaller than that Of Great Britain
hence when she began to wage war upon the world she
could not use her ships to advantage. The British fleet
was in the way. It protected the British Islands and 9th.
er British territory, and as an act Of war 1t ~intsrfered
with German commerce, and especially with the use OF
the ocean by Germany for the supplying Of her armies
That is the sore spot. NAnd when German authorities dis
claim against the violation Of the freedom Of the seas by
Great Britain, they complain against the use by her ad.
versary Of the only means that she could employ to pre-
serve her existence. 80 ID
Freedom Of the seas, Misunderstood in Germany
means German domination Of the seas, just as freedom
in general means to her the German domination Of the
world.