Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-12-12
solution in 'lnt.rnation.I LEAGUE. .

>1h SeAI ASiiteah 0Au thO SAisCu DCntCS
can reach Z. complete agreement on
thas question by joining such a league
declared viscount Grey. former for.
eign secretary, in q speech here e~to-
night.
The secs, the viscount said. were free
4 IN times OF peace and Great Britain
has placed no restrictions upon them
During the war the Amsdcan navy
\ has aided the British navy in maintain
ing the blockade and Lord Grey thought
stl,at~ the United States would use the
s;rme weapon IL necessity for it arose
in the future. Without the blockade
he added. Germany might have won.
The term freedom of the seas" he
continued, was American in origin and
had been adopted by the Germans for
their own purposes. He believes Pres
ident Wilson meant freedom sof the
seas to all who joined the leagu- OF
nations. but the phrase needed clearer
definition.
May Cause Friction.
Viscount Grey said, in part:
This Is matter which. it is feared,
may create difficulties betweHp Pres
ident Wilson and the British govern
uhSHt. lHlHh IL 10 ~ SItdt plly tudl
50 much has been said bout the free
dom Of the seas without being de-
fined II is true there Is considerable
prcjudice against the phrase, largely
due to the fact that it is believed ia
be a German phrase. 1t is not Ger
man but American. 1t was made In
the United States and the Germans
adopted Y and used IL for their own
purposes in a sense to which we have
never agreed Hence its unpopulari-
~. But until President Wilson de-
fines it and comes to discuss it with
our government there is no need to
anticipate difficulty about an agree
meHt OF what 1t means.
Freedom in Peace Times.
Freedom Of the seas in times Of
peace? II SO we agree. Wherever the
British navy has been in position u
exercise its influence and power Nn
the seas in times of peace it has exer-
cised that influence impa:tially for the
freedom OF The seas for all nations
without distinction The United
States. think, has some rule forbio.
ding foreign ships to carry goods be-
tween the Nnited States and the Phil
5ippines.s Some other countries have
rules Of the same kind. We never had
Ia regu'ation like that We have been
more completely for the freedom Of the
1 seas In times Of peace than any other
nation. However great our sea powsl
has been we Shave used it for impair.
stial freedom OF the seas for every
other nation as much as for ourselves
and think we ought to receive a
little more recognition than we do
! freln the fact that we have never
Used British naval power in times Of,
peace to make use, Of the seas easier
for ourselves without simultaneously
making It easier for others on the
same terms.
Blockade Prevented Hun Victory.
II the question Is one OF the free
dom Of the seas in time Of war then
I 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 success the
allies now have won. can not .empha-
size that too much nor express too
much admiration for It, But since the
. United States entered the war she not
only has acquiesed but believe most
strongly co-operated in carrying out
the blockade OF Germany. In the early
stages Of the war the blockade was not
nearly 30 complete because the United
States rai$ed many questions about It
but In the later years OF the conflict the
blockade was made complete with the
CO. operation Of the United StateG
without that blockade success could
not have been won Indeed without the
blockade Germany might have won,
What Wilson Really Wants.