Evening star., 1922-02-26
Urges That Nations Outlaw
Arming of Merchant Ships


their own way.
Whatever else has gone to the
scrap heap under the blighting In
fiuences of modern warfare, the
sacredness of the lives Of those
not actively engaged in military
operation still appeals to mankind.
The world is still hoping and pray
ing that through Mr.. wilson's
ideas or through President Hard
ing's efforts or through the inter-
position of Divine Providence, the
submarine horror shall never
again be repeated.
Diplomacy is yet to demonstrate
whether 1t can do anything to
lessen the loss OF human life In the
hour of international passion.
whether 1t can compel men VINO
are bound to wreck and bankrupt
the world to leave on the race or
1t few more human beings to
tion after the storm OF their pas
sion shall have spent its force.
Surely, loss OF life on the high
seas may be reduced. At any rate,
it is not asking too much that
civilized man put out of commits
sion certain principles which may
have found favor once. but under
conditions that no longer exist.
* ** X
For instance. what earthly rea-
son now exists for the arming OF
purely merchant vessels? I should
like to be told how you are to de-
termine, If vessels are to be armed.
how many guns a mere merchant
ship may carry and how many will
make of it a war machine. 1t is as
easy to say when the pullet be-
comes a hen or the shoat becomes
a pig. as to tell when a merchant
vessel. carrying guns, becomes a
warrior. In tho old days, when
pirates infested the seven seas.
and when it was the custom OF
government to At out privateers.
a merchant vessel was authorised
to carry a gun in order to ward on
few negligible instances in the
China seas, the ocean has been
swept clean of pirates. Privateers
no longer exist. In the hour OF
peace. merchant vessels OF the
world can sail any sea and enter
any port without the slightest
danger to life or cargo.
There is always danger OF
neutral nation being involved IN
sells are armed War is always
prosecuted only In self-defence.
Brutal and unprovoked as 1t may
lave been. statesmen invariably
declare that they were driven to
defend themselves. Captains OF
merchant vessels are human
beings; Put them on ;aa a1mea aeu- deu
ger. cne will run. another will
await attack. a third will believe
that the Lord helps those who
help themselves" A fight takes
place between an armed mer-
chantman and a belligerent ship.
The merchantmen will insist that
he was attacked. The oeiliserent
Forthwith the neutral nation Is
in the war.
If the merchantmen were not
armed there could be no dispute
about attack. There would be
no excuse for sinking the ves-
sci, no justification for taking
human life. A shot athwart her
bow would bring the merchant
man to. The vessel could be
searched for contraband of war.
It could be towed into port.
I cannot believe that. a bel
1igerent ship would fire just the
same. even though the merchant
man were not armed. Human ma
tpre has not returned to such a
sfme or barbarism. But IL SO.
even though unarmed neutrals
were treated as combatants. there
could be no dispute as to who
made the attack. who committed
the international offense. who
broke the law of nations. The
moral opinion of mankind would
demand the wiping from exist
enee of a nation whose navy
should be guilty of such an out
rage.
tcnpyrieht. 1902, by Thomas R. Marshall.)