Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-12
Ready to Concede to United
States Freest of All Free
Hands in Naval Develop
ment; Grey Points to League
of Nations as Solution of
Problem
BY Associated Press

Dewsbury, England. Dec IA
league of nations is the solution to
the question of freedom of the seas"
and Great Britain and the United
states can reach a complete agree
ment on that question by joining such
league, declared Viscounts Grey.
former Foreign Secretary in a speech
here tonight,
The seas. the Viscount said. we're
free in times of peace and Great Brit
ain had placed no restrictions upon
them, During the war the American
Navy had aided the British navy in
maintaining the blockade and Lord
Grey thought the United States would
use the same weapon. If necessity -or
it arose in the future. Without the
blockade, he added. Germany might
have won.
Defines Freedom Of Seas
The term Freedom of the seas he
continued, was American in origin
and had been adopted by the Ger
mans for their own purposes. lie be-
lieved President Wilson meant free
dom of the seas to al who Joined a
league of nations. but the phrase
needed clearer definition.
This is a matter which, ii is feared,
may create difficulties between Presi-
dent Wilson and the. British govern
ment." he said. Il think it is great
pity that so much has been said about
the freedom of the seas without 1t
being defined 1t is true there is con-
siderable prejudice against the phrase,
largely due to the fact that it Is be-
!ieved to be German phrase. 1t Is
not German, but American. 1t was
made in the United states and the
Germans adopted and used it for their
own purposes in n sense to which We
have never agreed. Hence its unpop-
ularity. But until President Wilson
defines il and comes to discuss ii With
our government, there is no 0eed TO
anticipate difficulty about an agree
ment as to what it means.
Freedom of the seas in times of
peace? If so, we agree. Wherever
the British navy has been in position
10 exercise its influence and power on
the seas in times of peace it has eNer-
oised that influence impartially for the
freedom of the seas for all nations
without distinction. The United
States, l think. has some rule forbid
ding foreign ships to carry goods ne
tween the United States and the Phil
ippines. Some other countries have
similar rules. We never had regu-
lation like that.
Points to Record
We have been more completely for
the freedom of the seas in times OF
peace than any other nation. low
ever great our seapower has been we
have used it for impartial freedom of
the seas for every other nation as
much as for ourselves, and l think we
ought to receive little more recoE-
milton than we do for the fact that we
have never used British naval powers
in times of peace to make the use of
the seas easier for ourselves without
simultaneously making it easier Cor
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 San
not emphasize that too much nor eN-
press too much admiration of it. But
since the United States entered the
war she has not only acquiesced. but
| believe most strongly co-operated.
in carrying out the blockade of Ger
many In the early stages of the
war the blockade was not nearly 50
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
cooperation of the United States.
without that blockade. success could
not have been won. Indeed, without
the blockade, Germany might have
won.
Says League VIII Solve
Suppose this situation should eN-
ist again, and it is impossible to sup
pose that the United States would say
the blockade which was so essential
for success should not be allowed.
That would stultify everything Amer
lea did in this war. 1t would really
he an insult to the United states to
suggest that she would in future ad-