New-York tribune., 1918-12-19
British Say Modern
War Is a Barrier to
Freedom of Seas
81 oudon Tines Argues
Railroads Make Possible
Neutrals' Aid to Foe; Fa-
vors Anglo-American Pact
BY F. A. Wray
Nec York Tribune
SDCctCl Cable Ser1,icc


Special Gable Service
,c.,x,,rh,. 1918. by The Tribune Assn Incl
rONpON, Dec 1S.-~"The Times" is
,uhlishing exhaustive studies of the
.,sstion of freedom OF the seas from
,be British and American viewpoints.
Jts editorial to-day is devoted to an i'm
nsr.ial review of the subject. 1t is the
host summary Of the controversy that
has yet appeared here.
"The form which freedom of the seas
.lvays has taken in American advo-
cacv is that of insisting upon the i'm
munity of private property at sea from
cspture." says THE Times "Now,
without going back too far into the
history a. this advocacy, a great deal
nj wnlch j. obsolete and without rele-
rance to the controversies of our time.
,ys must do The Americans the courtesy
d. recognizing the principle back of it.
"Our American friends say: why
should you recognize the right to capt
ure Of private property at sea when you
Jo not recognize it in land war?'
"Whv draw an elaborate distinction
hs.veen the two? Neutrals and bellig-
erents alike uphold the right to booty
in war at sea.
Must Keep Weapon Sharp
non this subject the British attitude
.vsys has been the same. We say
hat island power is at an intole rable
dissdvantage in war time if it has not
the liberty to stop completely the en-
emys traffic on the seas; that this dis
advantage has become progressively
greater since railways have enabled any
belligerent power on the Continent to
import supplies through neutral ports
A. though they were its own, and that
sea power is. from its nature and his
tory. a weapon for use only in behalf of
liberty. and therefore is weapon
which must be kept sharp and keen.
"On this issue we are united. and in
view Of the great Importance of main
tajnine the friendliest relations be-
,ween this country and America, they
ssre no friends to the worlds peace who
blunt and obscure it.
"Our correspondent shows how much
the old American doctrine has been
Whitfield away by domestic criticism and
by changed conditions under which the
worlds commerce is carried on. What
is the use of insisting, as the old Amer
lean school used to insist, that private
property at sea is immune to capture il
the exception of contraband makes sc
big hole in this immunity as to make
it worthless?
Legitimate Contraband
an war like the present, which is
the business not of officials, classes OF
of professional armies and navies, but
of whole nations, everything that ma
ton exports or imports may be essen
tia to its power of continuing the war
Therefore, it is legitimate contraband
Again, what is the sense Of protect
ine private property outside Of terri
toria1 waters if the institution of ;
blockade enables YOU to capture ant
condemn it within the limits of the new
blockade as necessarily extended in thu
conditions of modern warfare?
"The submarine, the impossiblllty o
a sure blockade, the ramifications o
railways. the fact that under the mod
ern system of universal service nation
fight with manufactures as much q
with guns and rifes-an these thing
have made the old principle for whlc
America used to contend, of exemptln
private property at sea from capture
somewhat out of date and in need Q
restatement.
Cites United States Practices
"This statement has yet to be mad
in formal shape, though there ar
many signs of Willingness to modlt
The original doctrine. For instanc
the Americans own practices in tn
Civil War and in this war are ver
different from her theory.
Again, the league of nations, whe