Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-26

Is there a possibility that the United
States may win a century-old battle for
general recognition of freedom Of the
| seas? The question Is widely debated
as discussion Of the negotiations with
Great Britain on the subject of naval
armament goes on. Opinions differ as
to the possibility of enforcing such free
dom, one editor referring to any posi-
Bile agreement as another scrap of pa
per-" Some enthusiasm is shown as to
the prospect that the principle may
| gain victory.
That freedom of the seas will ever be
, an unregulated or unrestrained freedom
in war is not expected" contends the
st. Louis Globe Democrat. Optimistic
predictions that the old problem is
about to be solved may be based on
specific plans already under way look
| ing to regulations on which all may
agree. On the other hand, they may
be based on dispositions of different
sort, so promising In inSuring peace and
| preventing misunderstanding that the
| old problem will be solved by rendering
the principle of the freedom of the seas
only negligible in importance. If dur
| ing a war some nations insist that a
| certain set Of ocean traff1c regulations
must be observed, while other nations
insist that only set differing in many
respects Is entitled to be observed, great
friction and unpleasantness are bound
| to result"
A similar point Is raised by the wor-
cester Telegram, with the statement:
Every nation which is member of
the League Of Nations must help to
carry ON q war against an aggressor
nation. Therefore, in such a case there
will be no neutrals except among ma
tons outside the League, and even
those nations will not be neutrals in
the old sense. Modern warfare will de-
mand the strict regulation Of their COM
merce. They will either submit to it,
thus taking the side Of the League, or
to the extent Of fighting for their free
dom of commerce or withdraw entirely
from the sea. The last course would
not fit the dignity or the position Of
the United States. which would there
fore be left the alternative of virtually
fighting on one side or the other over
the matter Of commerce on the seas"
England and America have never
agreed well on the problem" recalls the
Lansing State Journal. When Eng
land has laid blockade she has in
sisted that IL ought to be respected. but
as often the United States has replied
that 1t was none of EnglandS business
with whom the United States traded.
That was true In the opening days of
the World War. 1t perhaps will be re-
membered that there Is q provision in
whereunder the League may bring a
blockade against q nation the League
may deem needs disciplining. But the
worry Of the League continues to be
What viii the United States do II we
proclaim q blockade?' The question Is
something of poser, for it has long
been our traditional policy that we
a d., fIaa ,r,1,a y,Ia
The question now Is, Is the United
States to enter into some kind of an
agreement whereunder 1t will act with
other nations In case blockade is be-
lieved necessary"
THE final and complete freedom of
the seas will be something to witness"
advises the Fort Worth Record-Tele-
gram, with the belief that about the
only thing necessary for establishment
is to practice It," The Hartford Cou-
rant, however, states that 1.-THE war
taught many things, and among them
1t taught Great Britain that in the
event Of another war this American
doctrine Of freedom Of the seas might |
be her salvation. The feeling OF conf |
dence on both sides of the Atlantic"
continues the courant. that no war
can arise between Britain and the
United States has caused the British
people to change their traditional atti-
tude toward a right that America has
always insisted on-the right to trade |
uninterruptedly with other nations. !
whether In peace or in war, consistent
with her own neutrality. Dependent |
as she liz on the world at large for her |
sustenance, Great Britain begins to see |
the necessity Of keeping the sea free
and open between herself and the great |
est Of all commercial nations-the
United states"
1.-THE triumph Of an idea" % hailed by /
the Birmingham News, taking note OF |
the fact that "conscdoiiS o. what may [