The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1918-12-12
aTHE FREEDOM OF THE SEAS"

"THE FREEDOM OF THE SEAS"
President Wilson intends to sail next
week for France. Is he going to carry
with him, locked up in his bosom, the
meaning Of his demand on the peace con-
ference for "the freedom Of the ,seas?"
The president has injected this phrase
into the peace council; but he has never
offered any definition Of It. The second
Of his fourteen peace conditions reads:
II. Absolute freedom Of naviga-
ton upon the seag outside territorial
waters, alike In peace and in war, ex-
cept as the seas may be closed in
& whole or in part by international &C
ton for the enforcement Of ;nterna-
tional covenants.
The Allied governments could not in
terpret this language. When they &C.
cepted Germany's proposal to- make peace
on the basis Of Mr.. Wilson's fourteen ar
ticles they felt obliged to reserve assent
to a stipulation which they did not un-
derstand In memorandum which they
sent to Washington this notice was given:
"They (the Allied powers) must
point out, however, that Clause 2,
relating to what is usually described
as the freedom Of the seas, is open
to various interpretations, some Of
which they could not accept. They
must therefore reserve to themselves
complete freedom on this subject
when they enter the peace confer
ence.
In his note Of November to the Ger
man government, transmitting the Allied
memorandum and announcing that Mar
Bhal Foch was ready to discuss armistice
terms, Secretary Lansing said: II am In
rtructed by the president to say that he
Is in agreement with the Interpretation
bet forth in the last paragraph Of the
memorandum quoted" The last para
graph covered the additional Allied de-
mand for compensation for damage done
to the civilian populations Of the allies
and their property by German land, sea
md air operations. This language SEEM
ed to imply that the President was not in
agreement with the Allied reservation
on the subject Of the freedom Of the seas.
At all events the allies do not know
what President Wilson meant by Stree
dom Of navigation upon the seas outside
territorial waters, alike In peace and In
war" Nor does the American public
know. Yet everybody ought to be per-
mitted to know, according to the Presi-
dert's own declaration in behalf Of open
diplomacy.
Article Of the fourteen conditions
says: Diplomacy shall proceed alwavs
frankly and in the public view" Whv
then, have we not had long ago on Off
cial elucidation Of the meaning of Para
graph II?
In his ."peace without victory" address
to Congress on January 20, 1917, Mr..
Wilson said: "The apths Of the sea must
alike in lew and in fact he free. The
freedom Of the seas is the sine qua non
Of peace, equality and cooperation"
He also said "No doubt somewhat
practical reconsideration Of many Of the
rules Of international practice hitherto
sougth to be established may be neces-
Dary IN order to make the seas indeed
4ree and common In practically all cir.
r1lrnstances for the use Of mankind, but
the metive for such changes Is convinc-
III aId compelling
These are grandiose ideas. Yet The
Evening Post is still trying to convince
itsef and the country that all the Presi-
dent La &, mind IS the Immunity Of nom
eontrah l4d private property at sea. Re-
Dent ava 8pII1cilts Of bellgerent power at
1Sa havS S3ode such Immunity Of infini-