Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-30
FREEDOM Of The SEAS
HUN SYMPATHY CRY
False Excuse for Germany's u
Boat Piracy; False Cry Leads
to an Empires Crash.

For years Germany has played, for
sympathy. mp and down the scale of
"'Frcedom of thc Seas. IT every oi'-
p0rtunitv. or whenever there has been
tho slightest hope OF ehelting sympathy,
she has harped on tins tune Tier repre-
@entativcs III international conferences ~
The Hague or elsewhere. no matter what
the subject under discussion, have IN
variahly led. or. ~ leasf. attempted 10
lead the course 81 discussion around 70
consideration Of the freedom Of the seas
When she declared war upon Russla on
August /. 1914. her ostensihle purpose
vas Ia aid Austria Hungary IN fepeillng
Knsalan aggression. hen this act was
followed by the vnnton INVASION of
Iuxeruhnrg and Belgium. her excuse Tor
the moment was that the necessities 81
var demanded such aetlan h'it when she
thereby Lett only one course open 10 e,feat
pritaIn. she rcsortcd - her old cry nt
Freedom OF tho seAs. IN tho hope 81
winning the United States ~ her aIdc
During the period in which she fendlv
cherished the dream of enllsting AmFncan
friendship. While her agent- Were loading
shipS with gram, cotton and essential
| war supplies at all Of the principal Amen
| can ports, her propagandisis gave PAL
| ilcular attention to the work of spread
| ing among the American people the fals"=
| hood that she was drawn into the War
/ actaatte forced into the war, ~ the neces-
! sitv ii securing q, the world ~ large, the
| nltcd States included greater freedom
/ of the seas When Great Britain, the
mistress Of tho seas. captured the yes
scls which German agents IN the United
/ f4ftF tnrn q
| gardlcss Of the flag they flew, and con
| fscated their cargoes Germany yocttcr-
| ously offered this ~ proof of her asscr-
tions and declarations thit the freedom
| of the seas was being withheld from and
/ denied to the commerce Of the world
And As an exponent and champion ot
| the freedom of the Seas, she called
upon the United States to punish Great
| britain for the alleged violation. At least.
/ If German commerce we're not granted
| freedom of the seas Size held, the COM
| mc-cc Of the nations against whIch Ger
many was carving on war should also be
| denied this freedom. The reply OF the
United States, that Germany would be
granted all the commercial privileges
| allowed to Great Britain or any other
nation, but that Germany, not the United
states, must protect those privilege, se
| far IS she herself was concerned. angered
| her, and then began her campaign OF
| piracy II va 70 promote freedom oi ne
| seas tha. she followed the sinking OF ne
passenger steamer Fatqba, on March *
| 1915. with he tarpedoing of the Lusitania
and the drowning of more than lVR
| PERSONS. including more than loO Amen
! can citizens, on May ot the same year
| Freedom of the seas from tins time on
I g,t4nr -
perpctration of a series u marine atrocities
! which have no parallel III the world 5
history.
Il was freedom OF the seas that
dominated he German Admiralty through
out the entire ti-boAt campaign that IN
sprcd Won Trpltz, that instlgated and
| attempted 10 justify slnklngs without
warning. sinkings without trace TIT
deliberate submerglng OF victims OF tht
| torpedo Who were offered standing room
on the roofs OF t-boate the shelhng oi
| Hfeboats, and the blowing up OF hospital
| ships Ii was he German conception 81
| freedom Of the seas that forced the
| United states. IN the name OF humanity
| Ia declare war existent with nation that
| could apparently III no other Wy bt
! brought to realization oi It's crimes
Finally. il was very largely the Gennai
eonccnfian Of freedom OF the seas that
turned civilization against her ruler,
and her people 10 saeh degree that Il
would not be content until both were
! stripped ri the power 10 do further harm
What Germany meant by freedom 81
the seas from the beginning WAS not
equal opportunity with all otltr nation,
to navigate the seas freely. and 10 eNteus
her commerce into all parts OF the world
rs She Was engaged III DONG up To Augusi
/, 1911. but that she should be free {,
carry her political influence, her kaltur
her uuperiallsm and her milltarisIu int<
other countries She wanted place IL
tie sun for the extension of the system
that has brought untold misery on til,
world
tnd now with an etfrontery character
i.tt, alike In its latk ol shamc aud ar
Consciousness ot hunor prot Il rmal
propaeAndists III the | nitei State At,
whispering v that President Nilsson ae
! cnrding 10 the second and third al hs
articles deemed essential to peace lean.
stronQl' toward the German iiea O
| freedom of tie zeas notwithstanding
that not ont, on one tut on 4 score o
ocr4slpns Ii, las made II clear that 4i1
settlement likely To leave Germany fire.,
To carry ou her eea polleieo alter IL va
would be abAorrent t. hHn II least On,
influential Democratic American news
paper liz, been led T. eeho tie Germas
hope and the German wish that ~sine cgrl
may bt PLACED upon the power Whtet
now dominate the sess AMI upon on
oi THESE powers IN particular
II would seem % be necessary That Al
parties concerned II sare and heae9
adjustment of questions srieag rom til.
war, and without which 10 satisfaction,
and permanent peace Will he possible
should understand 1t tie beginning IN,
understand definitely hni there Il nothing
in common between tie american III,
the German thought u relation t. Tia
freedom ot the seas hristIan Serene
Monitor
/
Roy SaCIaI and Dance