The Washington herald., 1918-12-22


problems % the ground. viii represent this news
paper at the Peace Conferenee. This Is the first
OF sries Of preliminary articles explaining the
rlEal points OF views on issues concerning which
divergent OPINIONS exist among the entente pow
ers Next week Bslderston from Paris will set
forth the eouhiet between the aspirations Of the
Italians and the JusoSlavs as put forward 70
bin By leaders Of both countries.
London. Nov 22.-CBy mai)-
England and America have never
been such friends as now. But on
the clear blue sky Of friendship has
appeared a tiny cloud. no larger
than mans hand. and the name of
that cloud Is the freedom Of the seas.
1t is point two of the famous
fourteen points forming the Presi-
dents program-"the only possible
program, as we see it"-that has
caused and is causing more heart
ournings, misgivings and even mis-
trust, in this island empire that has
ruled the waves for so many genera
tions, than any other war aim laid
down by an allied nation.
Point two is this: Absolute
freedom of navigation upon the seas,
outside territorial waters. in peace
and in war, except as the seas may
International action for the enforce
ment OF international covenants"
Vital to Existence.
Great Britain insisted in the teeth
OF all opposition at the prolonged ne
gotiations that took place in Versailles
before the arrnistice terms were
agreed upon that she excepted point
two from her assent in general to the
Presidents points. The whole matter
will be threshed out further at the
interallied conferences to come and
at the final Peace Conference itself.
! Meanwhile, the American people
ought to understand how the British
feel about the issue that is vital to
their national eXistenCe-sea power.
This story presents the dispassion-
ate view OF intelligent men.
There is also, unfortunately, a great
deal Of wild and peTnicious talk in
circulation. Perhaps in America peo-
pie are saying with some heat There
Is no more room in the new interna-
tional order for the control of the sea
than Of the land. by a single power,
and the sooner the British realize this
the better As such talk does not rep
resent America. neither Is sober Brit
ish opinion reflected by the many
persons who say, We hold the seas
and we shall go on holding them; we
are the strongest naval power; we
cannot be attacked: so we will NOT
accept diCtation," etc.
But. irebrands and loose takers eN-
cepted, both peoples want TO under
stand each other and be fair to each
other. Among sober Englishmen, in
their clubs and homes and places OF
business, the freedom OF the seas
srouses feelings which if restrained |
and not apparent on the surface are !
strong and deep. The announcement !
that President Wilson is to visit Eu-
rope has not decreased speculation |
about the American sea policy. for |
BTitons have long memories on these 4
questions. and do not forget the ex- ]
tremely strongly-wOrded protests ,
sent by Mr.. Wilson to the foreign Of !
nee against the blockade in the early +.
years Of the war.
Much Ni-understanding.
Much misunderstanding. much very /
harmful misunderstanding. exists here
about what America proposes to do. {
and the American position, as / un- (
derstand it and put it to my British |
friends, is really approximately this: !
The freedom of the seas, as Presi- /
dent Wilson uses the phrase. does not !
mean that the British navy is to :
be asked to demoblize. Nor does it .
mean any real surrender of security .
against invasion, or even. in prac- ,
tfce. abandoning those rights of block
age exercised against a continental !
power with whom Great Britain is
at war that have proved so efficacious
against Germany.
1T is true that President Wilson's
words seem to imply the safety of all
merchant ships in war. but unless
England were to engage in an ag-
gressive war against the will of the
league of nations, her opponent
would still suffer the penalties OF
blockade. carried out perhaps mainly
by the British navy but sanctioned by
international decree. Wilson does want 4
the seas free for an aggressive power
The only case, then. in which Presi-
dent Wilson's point two would mill
tate against Great Britain would he
in a war in which Britain engaged
without the approval of the league
Of nations, and in that case -ho
would presumably defy the authority
Of the league, and hence the conten-
uous point two could not be applied.
except by force. But, of course,
Britain would not engage in such
war"
To this statement of the position
many important EngIishmen, both
naval men and politicians and ordinary
business folk, have answered me.
sometimes hotly. more often calmly.
and always in disagreement, and the
substance Of what they say is this:
Can Enforce DEGREES,
Your whole argument rests on the
assumption that league of nations
will come into being which can enforce
its DEGREES against recalcitrant now
ers. OF this we have no proof. You
look at this sea problem
from your own point of view, as a
great self-contained. self-supporting
people, protected by thousands Of miles
of sea, and when you consider il
from the European standpoint. it be-
comes with you a continental aues-
tion. You say Why should not the
seas be free outside territorial limits
10 neutral powers? Why should bel
igerents have any more rights on the
rree oceans than they have on other
peoples territory And you forget
mat We are an island and that our
problem. as an island which draws
from the sea Its life blood. is different /
nom yours or that of any continental
I'VE are separated by less than
thirty miles from one great power,
nd hv 1asa thar ian