Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-27
FREEDOM OF SEAS HELD
REAL ANCLO-U. S. BREACH
Macdonald's Visit Did Not Touch Main
Issue, Expert Says, Holding Policies
Yet Are Far Apart.

10 insist upon our rights as a neutral,
rights which would enable us to trade
with the alleged aggressor and thus de-
feat the British action and the League
purpose.
Out of this situation there are but
two obvious escapes: We might. on our
side, agree that whenever the League
should decide any country had willfully
broken the peace, we should not insist
upon our rights as q neutral Obviously
in such case there would be only a re-
mote chance of a collision with the
British, because they are prepared to
agree not TO employ their fleet in the
traditional manner save as they have
League warrant.
Other Powers Might Agree.
BY contrast the British and all other
naval powers might agree to make the
seas actually free at all times by de-
claring unlawful any molestation Of
international commerce, even that of
belligerent nations. Ships of COM
merce at all times and under all con-
ditions would thus be immune from
attack.
But oddly enough we are equally OPP
posed in principle to both solutions.
AS to the former, it would in effect
make us a belligerent in case of any
European war, because in refraining
from insisting upon respect of our
rights as neutral We should be guilty
of favoring one belligerent as against
another. Moreover, any such policy of
waving our rights would impose enor-
nous and disproportionate costs upon
us. The League, for example. might
declare Germany or Italy guilty of
aggression, Germany because she al
lowed the Austrians to become members
of the German Reich, Italy because
she took up arms to prevent such a
combination, which patiently menaced
her security.
But if we consented in advance to
waive our rights an enormous loss would
automatically fall upon our cotton pro-
ducerS, whose influence would weigh
upon Democratic administration, or
upon our wheat farmers. who would be
similarly potent in a Republican ad-
ministration. Again, any such course
would at once consolidate the German
or italian population of this country
against the Government. To agree to
accept the League decision then would
mean that every time Europe fought
not only would we be involved in that
war, but we should. concomitantly have
a domestic fracas Upon our hands and
have to bear enormous costs.
Danger stu Remains.
Naturally the British are concerned
and would like to see us agree to curtail
our doctrine of the freedom of the seas,
to coordinate it with the League doc
trineS and the British obligations. And
they have every right to be concerned,
because their own security is at stake,
or at the least the method by which
they have hitherto insured their Sc
curity is at stake. And Mr.. Macdonald
would have liked nothing better than
to get an agreement on this issue, which
he has publicly declared to be Of far
greater importance than parity. But
he was told before he started that no
agreement on this principle was possible.
1t was and is totally unlikely that we
shall ever go to war with the British to
protect our rights as a neutral, because
the British are wholly unlikely to make
war save as they are fortified by the
moral sanction Of the League. But sucil
danger as there was remains just where
it stood before Mr.. Macdonalds trip.
AS consequence of the negotiations
and the visit, we shall get parity, and
the atmosphere Of the Anglo-American
relations has been cleared. But one
must perceive that the British gain is
less clear. They have not obtained any
reinsurance as to the use to which we
shall put our equal feet. AS a conse-
quence there is likely to be not only dis
appointment. but criticism. Mr.. Mac
donald, having made the best bargain
possible In the naval matter, is likely
to find that he will be assailed at home.
May Be Empty of Results.
AS long as we stay out of the League
of Nations and maintain a powerful
fleet, the League cannot employ the
naval resources of the member nations
TO punish an aggreSSor, and the British
cannot operate under the League man
date save as we consent to waive our
neutral rights. AS an ardent Lacquer
and a loyal Briton, Macdonald has
hoped TO end this situation. And from
the British point of view, any Anglo
American agreement as to naval strength
which did not cover this point
would be inadequate. Therefore. when
the cheering has died out, Macdonalds
excursion IS likely to seem to his fellow
countrymen full Of glory and empty of
results.
Copyright, 1927