The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-05-07
SETTING A NEW PRECEDENT.

That the United States Will retain the
seized German ships after the war, but will
reimburse the private owners, is accepted,
as a matter if course. What, however, would
be the policy OF the government regarding
the seized ships what are Summarized by
German U-boats?
Should their owners be reimbursed.
or does their destruction by enemy means
cancel the obligation?
Much will depend, of course, upon future
developments, which, by their nature, can
not be forseen now; the matter, indeed.
may enter into the terms of peace, where
expediency and not logic will be the guide,
But though the case is without parallel in
the history of international relations, there
are a few general principles already estab-
Iished that will guide speculation to a con
Clus;On.
In the first place. there is no legal obi
cation whatever to reimburse the original
owners-nO prize court, no iurist would
question Our right of seizure, which is fu.-
thermOre strengthened by all usages Of re-
prlsaL But there was no legal obligation
for the United States to return the Simon
eseki indemnity to China-vet it did so,
the only nation in the world to recognize
/ =
should not be held responsible for the
actions of a mad mob. And according to
| precedent, the United States should have
demanded a humping indemnity from
| Spain, instead of which we actually paid
S2OOO0O00 for the Philippine Islands,
which we had captured in battle.
These are only three instances of an
idealism our country has brought into
world politics to save private individuals
as far as possible from the burdens of pub
lie mistakes: but the list is long one. and
it was due to the American influence that
japan waived thoughts Of indemnity.
Under different conditions the United
States would have allowed the ships suf-
t1c1ent time to take refuge in some home
or friendly port. But to have sent them to
sea would simply have been to insure their
capture or destruction by other belIigerents.
Accordingly the United States COnhscated
them for war purposes and President Will
sons announcement that we are not fight
ing the German people can have only one
Interpretation when applied to the private
owners of these vessels.
Though at first sight it might seem
quixotic to paw for ship sunk by German
submarine, let us say, on its first voyage
under the American flag, we should remen-
Der that the only question involved in this
moral obligation is, that the private own
! ers have been deprived Of the use Of Their
property, and its ultimate fate. therefore
has no bearing on the subiect-whether it
survives, is summarized, or perishes in a
storm.
True, the owners of the vessels. mas
much as they are aiding the German cause
may be held costructively responsible for
the destruction of the boats for which they
would be reimbursed by the nation de
prived of their use, but this is legal bubble
= that will not be made by the broad visioneC
| United States for there is no difference be-
tween sinking an American-built and
German-built vessel and the same German
ship owners have long been contributing
= to the destruction of American tonnage
| without reprisal being seriously considered
] in this country.
Another fact to be borne in mind is tha
: settlement would be made in time Of peac,
when the very ideas that excite repugnanct
now will be accepted as perfectly natural
e and broader construction will be put OF
e relations with our friends than war
I focused vision can comprehend.
/ If the future brings no unexpected de
veloPments, then we may confidently ex
D pect the United States to set d new preCe
- dent in internationalSm-W is merel
e the brotherhood of man on a grand scale
c and reimburse the owners for the hundre
= odd ships seized by this government, minu
. charges for repairing damage wrought b
/. the creWs-happy to assist the peOpl
=. has l,,1r> II IL.