Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-10
INDIVIDUALITY PRECEDENTS
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WASllINI;roN n

WASHINGTON. ID. c.. March o.-In
IN Address to Congress ALREADY his.
.ofW' delivered ON Monday Iscbrunrv
~ irchiu"ht Wilson announced thai
W" heNt step of tho United states In
w" ihternat ional complications con-
ir""''hs tho nation would be To ,nto
~, ~ "',Nuao OF armed neutrality
"''" h":"shcd Congress- for the ncces-
rectiyr. '''"uc e.
~ tue position of armed neutrality
mh'h ne proposed that tho nn,Ion
s :, assume. the President said that
WINS one Tor which there Is annie
precedent. and which the united Stnic.
VIII know how To mnjutnin ,yith ~
r.Rard Tor international law. since
the beginning OF the Europxnn war
this country has taken no sten wh,ch
~ not strictly In accordance with th.t
ha"' ana TINS course has greatly
".'ens 'ncneu our stand. and given the
halioh run consciousness OF Justin
cation in pursuing any course which
ciTcu'hStinccs may render necessary
lne step to armed neutrality Is one
whose correctness Is guaranteed by
law and historical precedent
The armed neutrality which No 10
sumo may diner In some particulurs
from any armed neutrality which his
tory records. In thus ESTABLISHING n
new precedent IN some minor details
the United States is only CARRYING on
lis own traditions. II can be said
without any falls, pride or exaggcrated
hational conScit--for IL is a fact adj
mitted by authorities all over tho
Worid-that the present conception or
neutrality has grown with the growth
OF mo American nation. The rights of
n"u.iais were first enuncatcd ana
most consistently defended By the
United states. aid all the ne,ttraIs owt
Whatever consideration they get to-
daS-which is sometimes not very
hnuch-inore to the past insistence OF
the United States than to any other
influence.
Owed It's establishment, indirectly Ia
the influence OF the United states
mere have been TWO great formal
armed neutralitics declared by Euro
peah nations. furnishing ample prece-
dent Tor amy stand In this line that
, rnn en,,eh states may take to-day.
rms country itself was not an active
party to this first OF them because il
was then At war itself. but IL acceded
10 the principles OF the armed neu
trals, recognizing in them principles
which the United States had first de-
ciareu TO the world. The stand OF the
United states was ono Of the main
causes back OF this first armed league
OF the ncutrals.
Formed by Empress Catherine
rms league was formed by tho ,,,,
press Gathering H.. of Russia. in I7So
>. included All the principal northern
european powers. as well as Holland
~ WA Y timc Eng gland was at war win
france. Spain and the United St,,.s
the revolution was still in pronr.s.
.Ncutral shipping was being violated
~ oo'h SIDES, SO far as tho European
stIehts were concerned. Russian
fan .ttl.
Seized by Spanish cruisers on tho
ground that they were destined for
hritish ports y, that time. such a
course WAS not unusual. The rights
OF heutrals had received scant consid
Grafton from bclliEcrents before ,hc
birth OF the American nation. Bur no
United States from the very begin
hihS mad stood for the rights Of neu-
.rai commerce Tho principal mari
nm" powers OF Europe had held tha,
enemy goods were liable to cou0scn
ton. no matter whether the shin tbat
carried them was neutral or not. The
United states refused to acccdc 10
this principle
This country stood out for the rights
OF neutral shipping. holding To tho
Tree ship. free goods" principIc--that
Is. that the neutral Dag covers enemy
goods. all except contrabaud: that IL a
hcutraI lrclShter Is not carrying CON
traband. tn" freight she carries Is safe
on IN" high seas. no matter TO whom
II belongs. Though this was n revo-
lutionary principle for "A small, weak
nation. such as the United states was
then to uphold. this country succeeded
IN getting France to agree 10 it. and
n little later France extended tho rights
won from her by America to all neu-
trail nations. II was this French at
titndc. for which tho United States was
responsible, that led to the formation