The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-03-12

81 good Americans that have not ar
IDENTIFY taken sides In the european
struggle a large proportion. Il q
probable. have been ncutrai. 'ir
thought and in word" az well as In
deed. because quito honestly they nav
supposed that Great Britain has as
r%uthIessiy destroyed some freedom or
other OF the seas as Germany has de-
stroyed merchant shipping; and have
believed that Great Bfitaln's a,temp,
TO starve an entire people. Including
noncombatants. justified any rcprisai.
lawful or unlawful, by Germany, and
that the most brutal reprisal Is Mt
more dreadful than a deliberately in
nicted slow starvation Of babies.
Now this s,pposition and this
lief happen TO be mental products
that can come into existence and can
survive only IN minds that are not
fully informed about certain vefy
important matters, or that seine IN
formed. are. not capable OF straight
thinldne. They are conclusions that
eannot he entertained BY educated
persons whose intellectual machinery
= ~ normal repair and running or
DER.
what. then. il the freedom OF the
seas Technically. Il is a highly spec
ilc right constituted OF countless as
sumptions, agreements. customs. treat
lee and conventions.
This IS @ the place to define.
much iess To describe Il. II Is enough
TO say OF Il in nontechnIeal terms thai
il is the right OF neutral traders AMI
p~nasengers 20 voyage securely upon
he high seas upon their lawful cr-
randa and occasions IN times OF war
a. in times OF peace. subject. however,
70 such limitations as have heen recog-
nized In the international law exist
ing at the beginning OF hostilities. OF
these Limitations the most embracing
one Is blockade. and a blockade Is
lawful II IL has been proclaimed and
enforced. The fact thai a blockade
works hardships to Neutral commerce
as well as to the biockaded beilig-
erent Toes not in the slightest degree
affect the riehtfulness OF the block
ade.
Fundamental limitations imposed
upon belligerents are. the require
ments OF adequate warning. by visit
and search or otherwise, and OF ade-
auate safeguarding OF the i've Of nom
cornbatants when beliigerents over
haul n dispose OF vessels suspected
OF being co~ntraband. IL Is to these
essential m constituent rights en-
tering into the freedom of the seas
that the American note of April 10
1915, refers. The methods OF sub
marine warfare upon enemy com
merce. IL Is there declared. are tut
teriy incompatible with the principles
OF humanity. the long established and
incontrovertible rights OF neutrais
M the sacred Immunities OF nom
combatants."
WHAT freedom Of the seas. then.
has Grea, Britain ruthlessly destroyed
as Germany has ruthlessiy destroyed
neutral property. neutral lives aud
the lives OF noncombatants9 The an
swer fatty is. none whatever. Great
Britain has done acts alleged to be
lawless, but they have been acts
against property. not against life.
They could be compensated by dam
ages. She has "a; al times acknowl.
edged the binding obligation 81 in
ternatlonal law. n ms proclaimed
her readiness 10 abide BY it's verdic,s.
And when the verdict has gore against
her as In the Alabama case, she has
paid up
80 the issue H. squarely drawn. Great
Britain has not been siuicss, but Gren.
Britain stands for law on ,hc high seas
and frhts for u. Germany ls not the
only wicked empire Ia history. bul
Germany runs nmuck, aud proclsim'
q freedom OF the seas which is an.
archy pure and simple. SEEING thl
ISSUE dearly, we need have no diffi.
Guilty in perceiVing further what &.
wrong with the argument thar mo
starvation of noncombatants in Ge'.
many IN as ndofonsIble a. the drown.
ing Of noneombatant PASSENGER tina.
have not been given "a chance FOR Their
lives. Germany has the option o. save
her omen pns>childrcn by surrender
she Is not denied quarter
The old rule 81 international law co.
aulros that vessels overhaui'd ON th.
high soas shall have the option q
surrender. and that lnnoccnt live.
shall thea b e fnfoguardod Tho Ger
man Fnbmariue warfare denies thes'
options. n II war without quarter
The mind that cannot see the differ'
enee between these two thinss. whei
once they have been brought To at