Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-12-11
FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

No other phrase has been used so glibly during these
war days as has freedom Of the seas" and it is doubtful
if any other is less clearly understood, even by the ma
jority of those who use 1t. We may assume that the Ger
man leaders, and President Wilson. and the British states
men mean when they. themselves. use the term, but it is
certain that the others do not mean what the Germans
mean, and it is equally certain that a very great number
Of other people use the phrase with approval because 1t
sounds we'll, and on the assumption that the progressive
leaders of democracy will be able to make something sat-
isfactory of it.
Since Great Britain far outranked every other nation
in naval strength, and since her naval supremacy has
been undisputed, there has never been any question con-
corning the freedom Of the seas in time of peace. The
ships of every nation have been at liberty to sail the blue
in every direction at the will of their commanders, with
out tribute or hindrance. The British navy, in addition
to its mission of insuring uninterrupted communication
for Britain in time of war, has been a standing guarantee
of freedom upon the water for all nations except under
stress of war. The british empire. with it's great navy,
mitted to the doctrine that no nation should ever be per-
mitted to levy tolls for the use of the ocean waters, or to
place obstacles in the way Of their free use.
1T is in time of war that questions concerning the use
of the ocean lanes have arisen. And we may as we'll I'M
derstand, now as later, that so long as war is the method
employed for the settlement of international disputes, the
closing of ocean communication will be employed by
Whatever power Is strong enough to do it, in order to
hamper and cripple an adversary.
Not only will the ports of the enemy be blockaded,
and his merchant ships be sunk or driven to port, but
trade between neutrals will be interrupted when that
trade is of such a character as to give advantage to the
enemy. In the war just now being brought to a close the
importance of this has been shown very clearly. If the
Allies, for instance, had permitted the shipment Of goods
from abroad to Holland to proceed without restriction,
during the time when the United States was a neutral,
Germany could have supplied herself with unlimited quan-
titles of war materials, and the possession Of a powerful
navy by any one Of the Allies, and the right to blockade
would alike have been useless. In fact, GERMANY would
have been much better off in that case than she would
have been with Holland a belligerent and fighting on her
side. h
There can be no such thing as literal freedom of the
seas during a war between maritime powers. There has
been, and there must continue to be, absolute freedom
during peace. And every effort should be made to
strengthen the regulations which already exist which are
intended to protect the lives and property of neutrals,
regulations which Germany has violated since the begin
ming Of the war. But perfect freedom of the seas can be
attained only through the utter abolition of war, and t.at
is possible only through a league of nations comnitted,to
securing justice without war.