Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-31
FREEDOM OF THE SEAS.
The True Nature of the Question
at Issue at Paris.


from time to time in public print.
what is the meaning of it all? Were
it earlier in the present war it would
SMACK of German propaganda, but
this cannot be now.
One writer calls it an ELUSIVE
phrase" and cites much American his
tory in support of his contention He
says, for instance, that lit was Eng
lands arbitrary Interpretation of
freedom of the seas that formed a
large factor in bringing about the
American revolution-J175 to 1888. $
Again, he states that it was ''our
quasi-war with France in 1881 500
that was brought about solely by a
dispute of freedom of the seas "
And yet again he states: "The war
of lS12-15 was brought about solely
by her arbitrary interference with
American rights on the seas"
Now, as the Declaration of indie
pendence contains the sum of our main
grievances against German George Ill
in tie revolutionary era, we must MAJ =
uraiiy look there for them: and, viii e
there are only two marine complain i s.
there are twenty-seven other far mo.-e
important ones. And of these the mott
conspicuous is number 20. as follows:
For abolishing the free system OF
English laws in neigh boring prov
ince tQuebec), establishing therein an
arbitrary government and enlarging
Its boundaries SO as to make it at
once an example and mt instrument
for introducing the same arbitrary
rule into these colonies"
From this list. then, We find that
the chief grievances were all land
ones, and not sea ones at all. affectine
the domestic welfare of the colonies
While colonial shipping suffered much
hardship from unjust marine laws at
haf trAf he -
dom of the seas" entered no more into
the origin of the war of 1775-s3 than
it did into the "duasi-war" with
France in 179S-1So0 and the war with
England in 1sI2-15, as is clearly
shown by the treaty Of Client in 1914
at which convention the question OF
freedom of the seas" appears not &c
have been under discussion at all, and
therefore it is an easy inference tina,
it did not form a large factor in
bringing about any Of these earlier
wars.
OF course. at all such times inter.
national laws will be either miscon.
strued or purposely evaded by both
sides to controversy. as happened in
! the notorious case of Mason and Sill
! dell, and which was speedily apollo
gized for. l will add that the fric-
| ton between France and the United
States in 1898 arose from the ques.
right of search" So that. in follow
/ ing history from late colonial days OF
down to the present war it does moi
appear that there was any question
of the freedom of the seas evel
raised by the United States as to it:
| not being the common property of al
nations.
! 1t is we'll known that the Viking,
| and Goths, many centuries ago, ISSUED
| from their Businesses in northerr
| Europe to plumber and ravage tbs
| coasts of France and the British Isles
| and, later, the corsafrs of the Mediter-
rean Sea it's environment: and the
pirates and buccaneers. the Spanish
main, the West Indies. and the Gulf OF
Mexico; but these "hold-up" men oil
| the ocean have, centuries ago. passed
4 away. just as the train robbers of TIL.
great west have become negligibl.
quantity before advancing ciyiiiza-
| ton and the era of better morals.
/ The great waterways have been Z
! common heritage of all peoples in al
ages. practically; and il has only beer
| occasionally in the centuries, az
stated, that a few nations have under
1 taken to lord il over them: and in al
such instances they have come tt
{, grief sooner or later The present
world confiagration just abatad is the
! latest exhibition of this ambition IL
/ rule the waters as wen as the land:
| of the earth, on the part OF Germany
q nd how disastrous the effort has beer
! to all concerned: but to none more So
| than to the unspeakable Hun, And
! let us not forget that the great vic.
| tory of the entente allies was TO MAX,
! democracy safe on the great water:
/ of the earth as we'll as on land, FOL
I the ocean must continue to be thl
/ common property of all.
| 1t is we'll known thai shortly aftel
| the discovery of the West Indies by
! Columbus a dispute arose between
| Spain and Portugal as to their rights
/ in the new fields of discovery. and
! the pope was selected as arbiter. A,
| Portugal had been the first in dis
| covering unknown lands. the Pop,
gave to Portugal all lands found II
j the east of meridian drawn S0t
miles west of the Azores: but this
| exclusive water rights. for this woule
/ have been 4 bald presumption and
akSurdity.
The high seas. as is well known. ara
| governed by international laws regu'
| iating the conduct of those who sal
| the blue" and enter harbors. Thes,
! laws are the police regulations
known to all commanders Of vessels
and whenever an inffaction OF them
| takes place it is reported to the prop
er authorities. and after investiSa'
| tom redress is sought and had. JUS
a
| laws are remedied by the courts.
| such has been the custom of nations
for (about the past two hundred
| Years: and, while the rights of block.
ade. contraband and search are al
regulated by international laws. evers
! new war almost invariably furnishe:
new conditions for future courts tc
| consider; and so the mternationa
| code becomes more and more moderr
1 10 meet modern conditions as wars
come and go.
4 Tine present war is proof of thi:
i statenent. for it has brought new
| conditions, affecting not only the sea:
4 hut the waters below the waters. ane
jthe air above which must come befor,
the Ipeace table conference. or som'
! later body of competent experts. fol
| asfius, ment. But whatever is don,
i nov. or later, viii be well done.
doubt not. to make the seas safe fo'
4free intercourse of all people. and Il
/ the end that they may continue u
be the common heritage of mankind
3D6lh on Nna an. Within their legfti
n'sss 8 'aa'ss <,Ialss Iz;xzsIs 3. sxE