The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1917-07-26

upon such a maritime code as would
assure the world a Just freedom Of
tho seas.
The EFFORT was born of our vital
need. For although Il was possible
for the Republic to keep aloof from
the nineteenth century disputes that
rent the Continent OF Europe. we
could not be- Indifferent TO the ways
IN which war was conducted at sea.
In those early years OF our national
life. when we we're still but a few
csmunltios ranged along the atlantic
ocast. we were sea-faring peapls
At the time when our frontiersmen
had not reached the Mississlppi, the
fame Of our DARN clipper ships
had spread to all the Seven Seas.
SO while we could watch the trimph-
ant march OF Napoleon's grand army
with detached indifference, his Block
ade and the British Orders In Council
Mt once affected the lives OF our cit.
izens intimately and dlsaatrously
War Fought Tor Freedom
SO Il was In the case OF the Bar
barry pirates. We had no interest
In the land qusrrels and civil wars
OF the Barbary States. but we fought
them for obstructlng ihe freedom OF
the seas.
and In the decades ever slnce. al
though the Imagination OF our people
has been engrossed In the immense
labor OF winning the West, our De-
pnrlr rn, cf state has never lost sight
OF the compelling interest that we
have had upon the seas. and has con
stantly striven to gain the assent OF
all nations 10 a maritime code which
should be framed and enforced by a
Joint responsibility. varions watch
words have arisen In this long con-
troyersy. We have urged the In
volatility OF private property OF sea.
we have asked for c liberal free list
and narrow defnation OF contra
dand. But our main insistence has
not been on any such details. One
salient idea has guided our diplo-
macy. The law OF the sea must be
found not on might but on right and
common accord. upon code bind
ing all alike. which can not be chang
ed or set aside by the will OF any
nation. Our ideal has been not
weakening but a strengthening OF
legal restraint by the free viii and
agreement OF all. We have asked
nothing OF ourselves that We do not
ask for the whole world. The seas
will never be free, in our American
meaning. until all who sail thereon
have had voice IN flaming sea laws.
The Just goverance OF the seas.must
rest on the consent of the governed.
supported by Great Britan
No other question OF international
polity has found the great powers
more divided. But in our instance
on this fundamental principal. we
have been strengthened by the sup
post OF many other countries. AZ
times We have had the support OF
Great Britain. No one OF our
Secretaries OF State has more clearly
defined our ideal than has Viseonnt
Grey. recently British Secretary OF
state OF Foreign Affairs. None OF
our statesmen has ever gone so for
as he in advocating limitation OF the
rights OF bslligerents on the sea. IL
was on his initiative that the inter
national naval conferences was sum
moned toI.ondon in1909, and IL was
under his guidance that the eminent
International lawyers and diplomats
and admlrals who gather there drew
up the Declaration OF Isondon.
While there were IN that Declara-
tion sections that did not quite NEE.
our approval and that we should have
liked 10 amend, the document was
from our point OF view tremendous
step In advance. For although. like
any elfcrt 70 ooneisiy formulate the
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