The Corpus Christi caller. [volume] (Corpus Christi, Tex.) 1918-1987, 1918-12-14

sequences Of the frccdom OF the seas that we
have always rcpuda,cd President Wilson do
mands absolute freedom Of navigation upon
the seas outside territorial waters alike in peace
and IN war Now. in peace there already IS
absolute freedom OF navigation Therefore what
President Wilson must mean is in war as well
as Ia peace That is the rca issue The prcsi
dent OF the United States apparently proposes
that when two nations are AZ war they shall
only fight on land. or within their own terri.
torial waters. No reason is advanced Tor this
limitation of the area Of warfare War at sea is
in no respect more cruel than war ON land in
some respects IL is less cruel
The idea underlying this proposal is that
the seas outside territorial waters are the com.
mon possession 81 the whole world. and what is
common to all should not be used as battle.
field by some That is certainly an attractive
idea, but viii Il hear eNammation' The is
Hoi merely n vacant space IL is also high-
way The effect of presidcn; Wilson, pro-
posal, strictly interpreted world be that bell
lieeroni could use the sea rs safe highway for
his troops mp TO the ,hrcersile line. which is
the boundary of ierEnpral waters The Ger
mans FOR example. would be at liberty to or
"
meu a,nl munitions. and these transports might
move up and down the coasts of England and
scotland seeking safe landing place, and as
long as they kept outside the three-mlc limit
they would he IMMUNE from attack
Merely to sci forth such proposition is
sufficient to condemn it in the minds of island
ers who know whether from history or from
island instinct that their long freedom from
invasion is due "a the fact that their fleets have
been ready in war to hunt down the enemy upon
the high seas and beat him back to his own
coast line. To expect Great Britain 10 look on
with her arms folded while evenly transports
were hearing dowA-.spon her coasts is TO ask
great nation TO commit suicide
French opinion on this subject runs very muel
long the same line as the British Most of III,
pmment in the Paris papers emphasizes the fac
raj President Wilson has not yet defined what h.
eans by freedom OF the seas, but most OF TN,
rcnch journals agree with the Ma,in when il says
Ii this doctrine means any diminution Of the powe
the British Navy, France will reject it Tn,
Tho de Paris. in its comment upon the maninit.
heh exists among the Allies, remarks that there i
My one possibility of disagreement between thu
dies and their American associates namely. in the
interpretation Of tits phrase. II proceeds
Saved as we have been by the naval pow
cr OF our British allies and by the blockade
which il enabled us to establish. we can not give
up tho supremacy efficacious weapon against
amy continental imperialism. In order TO pre-
vent amy danger ia the future and in order 10
get the most profitable results from victory,
may Great Britain and France, closely bound
by common sacrifice and identity of interest
finally agree with the groat American democ-
raey as 70 the point Professionally outlined by
President Wilson
Both the Temps and the journal DIES Dehai
'oiut out how anxious Germany would be 10 disarr
he Western nations, especially England, on III
ga, If She conld only do Literary Digest.