The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-12-12
BRITAIN s VIEW
Of SEA FREEDOM
HERE SET FORTH
WE MUST BE CAREFUL TO
PROTECT OURSELVES
AGAINST PERILS"
READY TO COOP PERAT TE
But London Times Quotes Colonel
Roosevelt in His Demand that
British Navy Should Be First in
World and Upholds that View of
the Problem.

World and Upholds that View of
the Problem.
London, Dec. ll.-Expounding
the British view OF the freedom Of
the seas, the legal correspondent Of
the Times, after dealing among 9TH
er things with the lessons OF the war
regarding naval operations as they
appear to him, describes the main
British position on the question as
follows:
"A readiness TO continue as here
tofore the freedom of the seas in
times of peace, which has been car
ried out by England, for example, as
to the admission OF foreign vessels
to coastwise trade, more than by
any other important commercial
country and to agree to the con-
version into free sea OF any sea
now treated as a closed sea.
"A strong conviction greatly
strengthened and hardened by the
lessons OF this war, to maintain the
minimum of safety for our people
and empire, and to be no party to
any agreement conflicting or tam
pering with it.
"A belief that the conditions OF
warfare are so changing that we
must be careful to protect ourselves
against perils ahead.
"A readiness to consider any
changes put forward by neutrals
consistent with these essentials.
"A desire to cooperate i'll render
ing impossible hideous crimes com
mitted at sea.
Compatible With Safety
"a readiness as far as is compat-
ible with safety in the full sense to
promote any practicable scheme for
a league of nations.
"In short, firm resolution as to
essentials and an open mind rs to
secondary matter
Il, leading up to his conclusion,
the correspondent says:
"The more the British point OF
view is understood, the more it will
commend itself to impartial opinion.
The closer we look at the question
from the American angle, the more
the differences are likely to be di-
miniShed. We are dealing with the
world as it still is, and so far as the
freedom OF the seas interferes with
the protection OF our vital interests
it means a one-sided disarmament,
to the detriment OF England and
England only.
1T is indisputable that the British
fleet saved civilization, and Mr..
Roosevelt in acknowledging the OBJ
legation which America owes to the
British navy, said:
Vital Needs of Empire Cited
THE peculiar needs OF the Brit
ish empire render it imperative that
her navy should be the first in the
world There, expressed accurately
and generously, is the first essential
OF the British policy.
The second essential to be borne
in mind is the revolution in maritime
warfare caused by the changes in the
size OF armies, the changes in weap-
ons and munitions and in modern
commerce. The pressure exercised
upon Germany has not been due to
any single measure. but to a series
of measures directed to one end and
dictated by modern developments.
Not merely orders in council as to
neutral vessels, but the imposing OF
conditions as to the supply OF coal;
liberal treatment of neutrals whose
ships were detained or requisitioned;
blackliSts, reasonable agreements
with neutrals as TO supplies of nee
essaries on conditions-these, and
other measures selected according
to circumstances made the so-called
commercial blockade a formidable
weapon OF attack.
Doubtless iseutrals experienced
much inconvenience by reason OF
them, but would the United States
have refraincd, in a life and death
struggle from using such meas
ureS
In an editorial article treating
upon the same subject, the Times
says:
Phrase Still Underlined.
The freedom OF the seas is 4
question most hopefully cherished
by mischief makers. The phrase is
still underlined; but one thing is
clear, namely that the war could
NOT have been won for civilization