FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 3629, 9 November 1918, Page 3

FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

THE GERMAN COMPARISON. (Eecoivod November 9, 9 a.m.) New York, Nov. 7.

The American shipyards complotcd 77 ships, aggregating 398,----100 deadweight tons during October, of which 46 were steel and 30 wooden, and 20 composite ships.

The Nov/ York Times, commenting on President Wilson's principle of the freedom of the seas, says: It is fortunate that tho Allied Governments have stated thoir inability to accept in all its various interpretations president Wilson's principle of the freedom of the seas, and that they have reserved complete freedom of action on this subject when they outer the Peace Conference. Because tho subject has long been controverted. Tho principles involved should be mado clear and discussed until agreed to by all nations, so that they may become part of a universally accepted in the body of international law. Tho American doctrine of the freedom of the seas, briefly, is that all /private property which is not contraband of war should be exempted from seizure by any belligerent at sea. Tho American doctrine is consonant, with that modern spirit which tends to restrict belligerent rights to acts that aro undoubtedly essential to he prosecution of war, while safeguarding tho rights of' neutral i

nations. What Germany means by freedom of the seas is the right to replenish her. stores by unrestricted trade with all nations during Avar.