FREEDOM OF THE SEAS.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 January 1919, Page 5

FREEDOM OF THE SEAS.

Discussing the freedom of the seas in respect to merchant shipping. Sir Alfred chairman of the Cimard Steamship Company, says in a letter to the press: —"There can, I take it, he no question of our giving our fullest support, to the principle in times of peace. Freedom of the seas in international trade, in the sense of equal treatment of all flags in all ports, should be a cardinal prinicple of the neace settlement. And freedom of the seas carries with it freedom of access to the seas. Let every nation determine for itself the conditions under which. its ports may be used, but let every nation in all international trades give equal opportunities to vessels under all flags. —whether its own or the flags of the nations with which it is trading. There is nothing new in the principle here advocated. In theory, at. any rate, it has been accepted in the past by all maritime narions. Great Britain and the United States have given it specific recognition by guaranteeing the use of the canals of Suez and Panama to the flags of all nations on terms of absolute equality In practice, 1/owevcr, Germany denied the freedom of . the seas to foreign flags. " The nations of the world must now make their choice between the German policy of discrimination and exclusion and the policy of freedom which has -hitherto (followed ' by Great Britain and the United States. The decision is of vital importance not only 'to the maritime nations but also to those States whose access to the sea lies through foreign territory. Unless the principle of freedom and equality is reaffirmed and faithfully observed the maritime nations will be driven one after another into a policy of discrimination and exclusion which will sooner or later imperil the peace of the world. The question of when, and under what conditions, the ships of Germany and Austria should be given this freedom stands separate and apart. The other nations of the world must first estfxblish the principle among themselves."