Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-12
WSCOUNT GREYF0R
LEAGUE Of NATIONS
TOFREE THE SEAS
Offers Way for Britain and
U. S. to Reach Complete
Agreement, He Asserts.
PROTECT DESERVING ONLY
IS HIS INTERPRETATION
Believes This Is What President
Wilson Advocates-Term Strictly
American, He Declares.

LII 9G44SSAy
American, He Declares.
Py the Associated Press
DEWSBURY, England, Wednesday.
December ia league Of nations is
the solution Of the question of "free-
dom of the SEAS" and Great Britain
and the United States can reach a COM
plete agreement on that question by
joining such a league, declared Wis.,
count Grey, former foreign secretary,
in q speech here tonight.
Join in Blockade.
The seas. the viscount said, were
free in times of peace, and Great
I,ritain has placed no restrictions
upon them. During the war the
American Navy had aided the Brit
ish navy in maintaining the blockade,
and Lord Grey thought that the Unit
ed States would use the same wea-
pom, If necessity for it arose in the
future. without the blockade, he
added, Germany might have won.
The term freedom of the seas" he
continued, was American in origin.
and had been adopted by the Ger
mans for their own purposes. He be-
lieved President Wilson meant free-
dom of the seas to all who joined
league of nations, but the phrase
needed clearer definition
Gives His Definition.
He said. in part:
This Is a matter which, it is feared,
may create difficulties between Presi-
dent Wilson and the British govern
ment. / think it is great pity tnae nat
so much has been said about the
freedom of the seas without being
Defined. 1t is true there is consider
ble prejudice against the phrase,
srgely due to the fact that it is be-
.ieved to be a German phrase.
1t was made in the United States. and
the Germans adopted and used 1t Tor
their own purposes In sense TO
which we have never agreed; aehce
its unpopularity. But until President
Wilson defines it and comes to dis
is no need to anticipate difhculty
about an agreement as to what IL
means.
Freedom of the seas in times OF
peace? If so. we agree. Wner,evie.
to exercise its influence and power
on the seas in times of peace 1t mas
exercised that influence mpartlaily
for the freedom of the seas for all
nations without tn,dK d1stlnet'en has Some rule
forbidding foreign ships to carry
goods between the United States and
the Philippines. Some other coun-
tries have rules of the same kind.
Has Been Impartial.
I'VE never had regulation like
that We have been more completely
for the freedom of the seas in tunes
of peace than any other nation. How
ever great our sea power has been
we have used it for impartial freedom
of the seas for every other nation as
much as for ourselves. and think we
ought to receive a little more recog-
milton than we do for the fact that
we have never used British naval
power in times of peace to make the
use of the seas easier for ourselves
without simultaneously making it
easier for others on the same terms.
IF the question is one of the free
dom of the seas in times of war then
] would say this: The United States.
as we all most gratefully recognize.
has taken part in the last two years
of the war. Without the United
States we could not have had the sue
cess the allies have now won. I can
not emphasize that too much nor ex-
press too much admiration of 1t.
But since the United States entered
the war she has not only acquiesced.
but, I believe. most strongly cooper
ated, in carrying out the blockade Of
Germany. In the early stages of the
war the blockade was not nearly so
complete. because the United States
raised many questions about 1t. but
in the later years of the conflict the
blockade was made complete with the
corporation of the United States.
Without that blockade success could
not have been won. Indeed, without
the blockade Germany might have
Won.
Looks to Future.
eaain and II is impossible to suppose
that the United States would say that
the blockade which was SO essential
fcr success should not be allowed.
Tstat would stultify everything Amer
T.. did in this war. 1t would really
h. IN insult to the United States to
sirGest that she would in future ad-
rnca4te any course in a war such as
ttis Inconsistent with what she did
in this war, and that was the COM
plete blockade of an offending ma
ton II this be so, we come to this
that probably what is in President
Wilson's mind is that freedom OF the
seas should be secured to any nation
observing the covenants of a league
Of nations and should be denied to
any nation breaking those covenants.
] that is so. then league Of nations
is the solution to the whole question
and cannot be discussed apart from 1t.
ON these grounds 1 believe there
pay be complete agreement between
lie two countries only if league Of
l,4tions is formed. I do not see why
ths country should not accept the
formula that if q league of nations
Is formed there is to be complete
freedom of the seas so long as the
covenants Of the league are OBJ
served, but II the covenants are
broken. then there Is to be no free
dom of the seas and every means is
10 be used against the power which
has broken them"
Against Servile House.
Viscount Grey protested against tho
election of q serv1le house of COM
mons, saying that IN such case there
would be a drift toward dictatorship
g: boIshevism. While giving credit to-
/. the present government. .,he said that
t:e people must be fair to the men
70 preceded the present cabinet in
& and who made ultimate success
!, ..sible. '''.
+ lie praised Viscount Haldane. former
alerd high chancellor; Viscount Miner,
secretary OF state for war: Col Win.
Nonftnuad q sixfoonf6 61111