Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-08-30
Privuteers and Neutrality


"You have heard of privateering,
haven't you?" customs officer asked
newspapermen who sought informa-
ton yesterday regarding the search
being made of the German trans
atlantic liner Bremen at its dock in
New York City. The reply of the
reporters was not disclosed, but it is
probable that few of them could
have discussed the subject intelli-
gently without some research in the
library. Such research would have
been enlightening, not only because
the term stems back to the stirring
early days of the American Navy,
but because it's use in connection
with the Bremen search gives the
incident unusual significance.
A privateer is privately-o
vessel commissioned by belligerent
nation to raid vessels of an enemy
power. Before the United States had
a stable navy of its own, wide use
was made of privateers. In the War
of 1872, for example, American priva-
teers captured more than 200 British
vessels. 1t was largely because of this
policy of depending on private ships
to aid the regular navy in time of
conflict that the United States re-
fused to sign the Declaration of Paris
in 1856, the first article of which
abolished privateering as legal in
strument Of war. The United States
long ago, however, enacted law
making it a criminal offense to eft
out or arm" any vessel for the service
of ANY foreign prince or state" with
intent to use the ship thus armed in
hostilities against the subjects, citi-
zens or property of any foreign
prince or state with whom the United
States is at peace" 1t was, presum-
ably, under authority of this old
statute, as we'll as under authority
of ordinary customs inspection laws,
that Treasury officials ordered the
detention and search of the Bremen,
the Normandie and two British
liners.
President Roosevelt, in his press
conference, pointed out that during
the Civil War a Confederate ship,
built in England and later armed at
sea, conducted raids on United States
shipping that eventually cost Eng
land about fifteen millions of dollars
in damages. Apparently he had in
mind the celebrated case of the Con-
federate raider, Alabama, which was
built in England and armed in the
Azores. The Alabama was credited
with sinking or capturing more than
three score United States vessels be-
fore her career was ended by the
U. S. S. Kearsarge off the coast of
France. After the war, the United
States charged England with violat-
ing rules Of international law relat-
ing to neutrality. A court of arbitra-
ton at Geneva finally rendered
judgment against England of SIS
100000, which was paid in 1878.
It is clear that this Government
not only has the right but also the
duty of making certain that ships
registered as merchantmen conform
to American neutrality and other
laws while in our ports. 1t is proper
that extreme vigilance should be ex-
ercised to forestall any incidents that
might subject us to charges Of being
unneutral in these critical times.
Negligence in letting a potential
privateer "fit out or arm" herself in
our neutral waters conceivably could
bring disastrous results for this Ma
ton in the event of the outbreak of
war abroad. This Government Is
justly determined that it shall not
be party to an Alabama incident
or anything remotely resembling it.