The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-03-15
ARMED NEUTRALITY
WASHINGTON, D. c., March g.
o, &E1ERIC .HASKlN


In an address to Congress already
historic. delivered on Monday, Febru-
airy 26, President Wilson announced
that the next step of the United States
in the international complications con-
fronting the nation would be tc take up
an attitude of armed neutrality. and he
asked Congress for the necessary
powers to make this attitude eff
fective.
Of the position of armed neutrality
which he proposed that the nation
should assume, the President said that
it was one for which there is ample
precedent, and which the United States
will know how to maintain with all re-
gard for international law. Since the
beginning of the European war, this
country has taken no step which is not
strictly in accordance with that law,
and this course has greatly strengthen
ed our stand, and given the nation full
consciousness of justification in pur-
suing any course which circumstances
may render necessary. The step to
armed neutrality is one whose correct
ness is guaranteed by law and historical
precedent.
The armed neutrality which we as
sumo may differ in some particulars
from any armed neutrality which his
tory records. In thus establishing a
new precedent in some minor details,
the United States is only carrying out
its own traditions. 1t can be said with
out any false pride or exaggerated
national conceit--for it is a fact ad-
mitted by authorities all over the
world-that the present conception of
neutrality has grown with the growth
of the American nation. The rights
of neutrals were first enunciated and
most constantly defended by the
United States, and all the neutrals owe
whatever consideration they get today
which is sometimes not very much
more to the past insistence of the
United States than to any other in
fuence.
The first armed neutrality in his
tory owed its establishment indirectly
to the influence of the United States.
There have been two great formal
armed neutralities declared by Euro
pean nations, furnishing ample pre-
cedent for any stand in this line that
the United States may take today.
This country itself was not an active
party to the first of them, because it
was then at war itself, but it acceded
T. the principles of the armed neu-
.afs;S recognizing in them principles
which the United States had first de-
clared to the world. The stand Of the
United States was one of the main
causes back of this first armed league
of the neutrals.
This league was formed by the En-
press Catherine II of Russia in 1850. II
included all the principal northern
European powers, as well as Holland.
At that time England was at war with
France, Spain and the United States
The Revolution was still in progress.
Neutral shipping was being violated by
belligerents were concerned. Russian
vessels laden with provisions were
seized by Spanish cruisers on the ground
that they were destined for Britt h
ports. At that time, such a course was
not unusual The rights of neutrals
had received scant consideration from
beIligerents before the birth of the
American nation. But the United
States from the very beginning had
stood for the rights Of neutral COM
merce. The principal maritime powers
of Europe had held that enemy goods
were liable to confiscation, no matter
whether the ship that carried them was
neutral or not. The United States re-
fused to accede to this principle.
This country stood out for the rights
of neutral shipping, holding to the
free ship, free goods" principle-that
is. that the neutral flag covers enemy
goods, all except contraband; that if a
neutral freighter is not carrying con-
traband, the freight she carries is safe
on the high seas, no matter to whom it
belongs. Though this was reyolu-
tlonary principle for small weak
nation such as the United States was
then to uphold, this country succeeded
In getting France to agree to it, and a
little later France extended the rights
won from her by Anne I to all neutral
nations. 1t was this l ench attitude,
for which the United States was re-
sponsible, that led to the formation Of
the first armed neutrality, when those