Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-04-17
Al I1TTLE CATEcHIsM OF FUNDAMENTALS,

No better summary OF the war SITUATION mas Deer
writtenthan the following. which appeared recently
in the Views Leader of Richmond. Virginia.
What tcds the immediate cause Of this comtry'
break rcSth Germany! "'7.
GermAnyfs withdrawal of her promise to obey the
principle of visit and search and to respect the rights
Of neutrals in war zone she defined.
Hhatis the principle Of risit and search!
That when unarrned ships encounter warshp OF
a belligerent at sea, the warship must send a boat
crew to the other vessel and make certain that il is
CARRYING goods that will help the enemy or is ship
OF the enemy Only when the warship has done this
ran ID carry the other vessel into port sink it. il
unable 10 take it into port
What other rights hare HeutraIsat sea? ..-g r..
The right to canysiuto open ports of every nation
goods that will not help the enemy IS army or navy
and, secondly, the right TO safe transport by their
raptor in case they ship that can lawfully
be sunk or carried into port by the enemy. ~.
Could Germany estabIisha blockade This country
roHld respccti
Yes, IL she had the ships at sea; or even if she
would require her submarine commanders to OBJ
ferve the rules of visit and search and regard the
safety OF neutraIs
Why does not Germany establish such a blockade
Betanse the superior British blockade keeps the
German feet AZ its base. Unable to use regular
HAlsxessels Germany must rely on her submarines
which are too frai to observe the principle of visit
and search and too small to take aboard the pas
eengefs of captured ships. What she is unable to
DO lawfully Germany insists upon doing unlaw.
fully
Fhatsfs the didcreaec bet,recn the British and
IhpNmgan hlockadtg
"a blockade' SAYS International law. "must be
reel y be effective" that is the blockading power
mist Cd be strong enough to patrol the waters it
prohibits ships from entering and (2l it must con.
d0ethe blockade with full regard for the rights OF
nentrals and for the principles of visit and search
The British blbekade meets these conditions; the
German blockade does pet The Jsrftish keep from
German ports all ships with goods for the enemy
and when they hndeiich ship, the British search
i and take il into port No merchant ship has vet
BEEN sunk at sea by the British No neutral has
lost his life because of the British blockade.
Has thes fsstssA blockade bees ldssful IN al
No. Ii has intercepted mails that should have
been passed without question. The British blockade
has also applied the ''doctrine of continuous yoy-
h1ps to conditional contraband, that is, ii has re
fsed ia Mss To neutral countries goods that may
nav not &c useful to the enemy and il has assumed
these goods to be bound for Germany when it should
prove theywere SO bound.
If fhc Ritish blockade is nnlaitfal. uhydo the
United Stlfcsrcaaim on friendly terms ,cith Great
britain.
The JnBed States have protested against the
seizure 4he uaiis and against the application Of
the principle " ptinnous voyages to conditional
cpntrabaua But the United States have rightly
regarded property as less important than life and
have refused to put the British, who are guilty Of
International petty larceny, in the same class with
nc German government which has sanctioned
n,wder at sea.
Are boA Great Britain and Germany pledged q
obserre &c princplss for ,chich the Enitcd State
1,o conteddingf sSss'ss
Yes, both are equally bound to the same interna
fional agreements and neither has right to abro
cate those agreements in dealing with the other OF
With the United States. These agreements were
<Decifcalls designed TO lessen the horrors of wal
ah{iao protect peaceful trade in war time.
Hare Tire United States rioIGted any iHterndtioaa
Ia,r n dealing 10Th Great Britain OF Germany DIR
ma the present aCarf
None Whatsoever, at any time or in any manner
Hoo about the constaat shipment Of munitions e
nc AHsesf
Both Germany and Great Britain signed an agree
nent at The Hague In whichit was plainly stated
IA neutral powef q not obliged TO prevent the ex
portation or transit FOR the Account of either bel
liperent of arms munitions and, in general of any
thing which may De useful to an army or fleet" The
only obligation restiug on this country was to sell
Is both belligerentsff they came into our markets
and bought for delivery. Cut off from the seas Ger
many could not do this That fact did not lesser
our right to sell to the Allies.
Tn the prcsest eisis, aohdt further action short Of
,oar can the president take!
he car, do three things: (1l He can arm merchant