New Britain herald., 1917-12-18
Suppose yop've copped the booby
BY LIEUT.. FITZHI

0upQoSo yOpV0 COPp0o Luo UVOUy prize at Friday night bridge and, l while you are returning in the impen- etrable gloom of 2 A. M. with afore- mentioned monstrosity under your arm, the night watchman suddenly confronts you You know you haven't any kick coming if he's curi- ous. Now have you. Well, suppose in the following gar 1sh morning on your way to hook the gift of Fortune you fall in with the day watchnan, policeman, and he
 looks upon you with suspicion: and you, breaking no written statute but
 simply obliterating the moral law of
 gift and gratitude, cannot conceal a guilty look | and he accosts you. You know he is entirely within his rights, isn't he.
 On land and sea, and soon enough in the air above, the right of search is an ancient privilege of just defense. Otherwise might the most infamous crimes take place under the very nose of the law.
 Last year left Copenhagen on
 Danish steamer. British patrols
 stopped us and examined both passen,
 gers and cargo. Many Americans were
 indignant. How dare they delay
 neutral ship:" was heard on every
 side. But what was to prevent Ger
 man symDathizers from carrying any
 thing they chose under the protection
 of neutral t1ag-if that flag forbid
 the right of search? In three months
 10000 neutral ships passed through
 the British lines. Were they let by un-
 molested all Germany could be fed
 and armed from that source alone.
 Search at sea has given rise to
 much trouble, indignation and states
 manlike hot air. Before the War of
 1912 the English took advantage of the Right of Search to exercise what is called the Right of Impressment From American vessels they took all men unable to prove they were Amer ican citizens and compelled them to join the British Navy. Whereupon our Navy got busy and settled the question by providing Perry with op- portunity to send his famous Met l the enemy's message.
 On April 2, 1862 Secretary Seward l undd Perry's knot by signing permis- 1 sion for England to search vessels 1 suspected of being engaged in the slave trade. This right was mutually 1 extended throughout the world by all nations in peace as well as in war. For only two other reasons may interfere with well-behaved private craft: first, on suspicion Of | piracy; and secondly, to execute fed- eral revenue laws. [
 Herein lies another worry for the naval commander. His presence in a foreign port is usually regarded as sufficient evidence that all vessels there of his own nationality are en- gagged in lawful trade. Which doesn't work out for hang when some kind ly-visaged rascal conceals a cargo of mausers bound for Cascara hidden un- der a cargo of oranges, corsets or Spanish bibles.
 International law used to define very strictly the formAlities of search. Intention was first signalled by the man -of-war. If disregarded a blank, and then shot was fired across the others bow. Obedient heavins-to must be prompt on the part of the vessel Boarding party con- ,ists of an officer, boats crew, and ,ne or two men to assist in the search. They must all be unarmed. Formerly he searching vessel was to remain out 1 ,f cannon shot but the ranges are too 1 great these days.
 Nothing personal, but just suppose ,ou weree on your honeymoon and in ! your private yacht cruising blithely he Spanish Main. Looms on the ! horizon a Spiggoty gunboat, which approaches, stops you, and sends a boarding party. Suppose the lily cented Lieutenant searches your