The Daily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1917. "THE FREEDOM OF THE SEAS."

Taranaki Daily News, 30 October 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1917. "THE FREEDOM OF THE SEAS."

"The freedom of the seag" is a phrase thai has the same attraction for the Huns as the word "Mesopotamia" possessed for the old lady. In all their peace kites they ask for this condition. Even the Pope in his peace offer of August suggests as one of the conditions of "a just and durable peace" that all obstacles in the way of communication be-\ tween the peoples should be removed "by assuring, by rules to be fixed, the real liberty and community of the sea 9, which on the one hand would eliminate numerous causes of conflict, and on the other would open to all new sources of prosperity and progress." The fact is that real liberty and community of the seas has existed since England broke the monopoly of the Atlantic, granted to Spain and Portugal by the Pope's predecessor. Britain, by her policy of open ports, has established and maintained the principle since she became the first Sea Power beyond dispute, and she has expended Iher substance in making the seas not only free but safe for the traffio of all nations by the suppression of piracy, the survey and charting of the oceans, the lighting and buoying of the coasts in the distant seas of the world. She has done her best to "eliminate all causes of conflict," and her best was good enough, until the jealous power of Germany arose and sought to dominate the earth and the seas as well. It is important, however, to determine the meaning underlying the specious phrase, originating in Germany, and this Gerard Fiennes does in a. notable article in a recent issue of the London Observer. He shows that in peace time the "real liberty and community of the seas" is not in .question. Every nation is free to use them without let or hindrance. Restrictions, where they exist, only begin at the harbor mouths, or in certain narrow waterways, such as the 'Dardanelles, the Sound, and the canals of Suez and Panama. Partly these are matter of municipal law, and partly i international conventions meant to eliminate numerous causes of conflict. There remains the use of the seas in war-time, and it is to the use of the seas in war time that the Gorman claim for ''liberty" is directed. They claim that the seas should be a neutral area over which ships of all classes, belonging to belligerents arid neutrals alike, should have the right to pass as freely as in time of peace. Warships and transports, apparently, are to have the same immunity from attack outside the territorial waters of a belligcrent as neutral merchantmen "on their lawful occasions." Supplies of all kinds

are, of course, freely to enter the ports of a warring Power; the stronger on land is to have all the advantage, and the stronger by sea to tight with his hand*) in handcuffs. If the Sea Powers do not. consent to be manacled, ''the submarine has come to stay," say the Germans, "and whenever it suits us to further our ambitions by force of arms, we will make the use of the seas impossible to all mankind unless you consent to remove the barrier of the sea from the path of our armies." For Britain, for the United States, for Italy and for Japan, at any rate, the acceptance of any such proposal cuts at the root of national security. It is the elementary lesson embodied in our history tfiat the fleet which rides upon the sea, and not the sea itself, is our defence. Alfred, Hubert de Burgh, Edward 111., Drake, Hawke, Nelson, all have taught us that the would-be conqueror must 'be "impeavhed" at sea. Eliminate the fleet as a, defence, and not these islands only, but Australia, New Zealand, Soutli Africa, all lie at the mercy of Germany. With their small populations and extended coast-lines, all thought of successful defence would be useless. If the "real liberty and community of the seas" is to be interpreted in the German sense, there is an instant end of the British Commonwealth of Nations and all it 'stands for in the world. The best guarantee of "a just and durable peace" is gone, for the most tempting prize in the world is to be had for the taking. The United States would lie in the same danger; would, at best, he forced to ke*p great forces for defence always afoot. The case oi Italy would be hopeless, with the Tedeschi north and cast of her and her long coast-line lying over against them. Disarmament might be decreed by Utopian pacificism, but who would enforce it on the Central Powers, ftith the Sea Powers eliminated? That is the meaning of "the real liberty and community of the seas." It is a demand that we should vilely cast away our shield while our deadly enemy retains hi; spear.