Evening star., 1939-10-04
American "Sofety Zone"

preserve the American continents free
from the war in Europe, representa-
tives of the 81 American republics
meeting at Panama have taken an
action unique in the annals of war
in order to insulate the New World
against the effects of the conflict.
In the Declaration of Panama,
which is concrete product of the
solidarity declaration of the Pan
American conference at Lima, Peru,
last December, the delegates have
defined broad expanse of ocean on
all sides of the American continents
as zone in which wartime activities
by the European belligerents are
prescribed.
This bold decision, which sets a
milestone in international law, is
being communicated to the warning
governments by President Juan
Demostenes Arosemena.
Nothing can justify" the declara-
tion says, that the interests of
belligerents prevail over the rights of
neutrals, causing upsets and suffer-
ings of peoples who, by their neu-
trality in the conflict and their dis
tance from the scene of the happen
ings, should not suffer it's fatal
dolorous consequences"
The American governments ought,
the declaration continues, "to insist
upon the determination that in their
waters and up to a reasonable dis
tance from their coasts no hostile
acts may be engaged in or bellicose
activities; carried out by participants
in war in which the said (Amer-
ican) governments do not par
ticipate."
The danger which the American
republics fear most from belligerent
activities close to the American con-
tinents is that inter-American COM
merce. which is the life-blood of
many of these nations, may be the
object of depredations by war vessels
of any belligerent, and that ship
ping engaged in strictly American
commerce, carrying strictly American
cargoes, may inadvertently or inten-
tionally be sent to the bottom. There
is also the anxiety that trade with
Europe may be unduly hampered by
belligerent war vessels lowering too
near American ports.
It is a real and tangible danger.
To meet it the assembled delegates
have declared sizable portion Of
the seas-always regarded as the
free and unappropriated highway of
all nations-closed even to lawful
belligerent activities. A serious ques-
ton arises. Can long standing inter-
national law-which gives the bel
ligerent the right to ferret out the
enemy wherever he may be found
be thus unilaterally amended?
Being unilateral the safety zone"
depends for its effectiveness either
upon the willingness of the bel
ligerents to respect it or upon the
ability of the interested American
states to enforce their fiat against
the belligerents.
The declaration is strongly worded
and unequivocal; the, belligerents
cannot fail to understand its intent.
But there is nothing in it to provide
for the organized use of force, except
the permission for all the American
republics to carry out individual or
collective patrols within the zone
defined, which embraces the Gulf of
Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the
approaches to the Panama Canal,
and extends halfway between Brazil
and the coast of Africa.
Beyond this, provision is made for
measures which the signatories can
take individually or collectively for
the purpose of obtaining fulfllment
of the dispositions of this declara-
tion" whenever they consider it nee
essary. The question of organized
force and the functions of the naval
patrols whether Informative or
forceful-remains to be decided in
the event of such consultation,
which undoubtedly would be resorted
to if the belligerents refuse to respect
the safety zone."
The American neutrals are pioneer
ing in a field where the wartime
practices of nations have never
penetrated. Pitfalls are numerous;
perils great. There is no assurance
that controversies arising out of the
effort to maintain a safety zone"
may not lead the American continent
into conflict against whichever side
refuses to cooperate with the pur-
pose Of America to stay out OF the
war.