Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-28
,ro;tre Clunet, Frances
Most Eminent Inter-
rational Lawyer, An
| alvzes Sea Frightful-
ness
rdict Lays Bare What
Was Previously In
tended but Diplomat
ically Kept Concealed
Rv HENRI BAZIN

-, correspondent In Frdrce OF Evening
We'o Ledger.
pIRIs. Feb In the opinion oi ,'soe ma.sre
fA.a clunet the most eminent student
aV,u's.arratonal law in France, the legal
- the English and Spanish em-
|nuse f., paris. the founder ana eN-presi-
:, Tho Institute de Droit international
tls.r, NJ the International Law Associa-
ard successful pleader at The hague
W ..o ,mportant historical instances the
.,rol nations of the world VIII suomt TO
4 csrmanic submarine policy or open
r.,.re against shipping lying any nag
~ Is at peace with the Government al
/ Berlin
y ChInet receives visitors In vast
.,dy full thirty feet square and twenty
~ from floor to ceiling, with more DOCKS
Y ,his mental workshop than one sees very
'nsn within four walls of private home.
,s an activa, gray-bearded man, about
s.,r years old. The> noted international
{tvyer said
.r,e only new and interesting point in
!. German submarine aim at blockading
!. coasts of Great Britain, France and
M, ia that for the first time since the
| s..rnjne Of the war Germany comes out
~ the omen and takes a position of 'nuda
| r',,os, before the world. For her note is
assnite statement of definite policy laid
~. as against a more or less restrained
! ,ontinuance of the same policy in the past
. sasr cover of nnuendo. denial excuse and
~, NJ rupture with the greatest neutral,
4. limited states And 1t proves the
s,,vitv Of her situation. Only a nation in
4 last extremity would resort to such a
MEASURE.
A LAST CHANCE
/ aonly a nation that had been forced by
4 nenacng circumstances would weigh such
Ia dssperate pro and con, risk all left TO II
unon the throw of such a card. | feel
sonyinced this is the present German official
mind that every possible contingency has
xen taken into consideration and the die
as upon this one issue:
We are beaten unress we can win
through this deed. It has the giimmer
| AZ A. chance 1t will call down upon us
he execration of neutrals, but it will
MT bring them to bear arms against
/ us Additional notes that 1t may create
! can as those of the past, be con-
/ yeniently p.geon-hoed. II we don't
try II on, we lose. And If in the try
inr. our Judgment as regards neutrals
a in error we will have but more
enemies without being in worse posi-
t0n tnan we are no" uTlllIis toWdlu
without them.
From the point of view of international
Inv, the German declaration is. of course,
E1ut paper blockade. For a blockade, to
La truly effective, must he enforced by a
tcrdon of war vessels which bar access to
the blockaded country according to the
rules Of war laid down in the Declarat ton
Of Paris, to which Germany and other ma
tons became party in 1855 after the
crimean war. just as the peace blockade
maintained by customs at a frontier is
!, made possible of enforcement only through
( GORDON of men and patrols.
Now the German ravy does not exist
1 upon the high seas So a leg innate block
ade following the rules of war as the exist
Ing one against her through the navies of
England and France, is without her power.
That which she proposes to do is therefore
but added violation of international law
upon her part added contempt for her own
honor, long since dragged in the mire of evil
deed. 1t is also but an extended intent
Of her paper blockade against England of
February 4, 1915 which in the aim i had
N view has been a miserable failure.
Under her present determination, she
vll desperately sink a greater number of
Neutral Spanish and neutral Norwegian
herchantmen with the virtual certainty that
nothlng In the nature of hOstiities from