Manawatu Daily Times

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6843, 22 February 1929, Page 6

Manawatu Daily Times

Freedom of the Seas

iQOLONEL JOSIAII WEDGWOOD, who puts more posers to the Baldwin front bench than all the rest of the Opposition, asked a question of Sir Austen Chamberlain in the House of Commons on Wednesday which exposes the most vital point in all the treating for disarmament and universal peace. “He inquired whether the negotiations for the renewed Anglo-Ameri-can arbitration treaty embraced a mutual agreement on the freedom of the seas.” The Foreign Secretary’s reply was that the American proposals were being considered by Britain and the Dominions. Just how the differing points of view on this question can be made to coincide is a problem that will take the best diplomatic brains both sides the Atlantic.

The United States’ point of view as summarised by the .Washington Post, is as follows:

“The United States is entitled to an absolutely free field for foreign commerce. When foreign Powers arc at war, the United States has a right to remain neutral and carry on neutral commerce without interference. It must have a navy sufficiently strong to enforce its nouti'al rights. Its flag becomes a despised rag if its people do not keep it inviolable upon every sea. . . War between Great Britain and other foreign Powers under modern conditions would either compel the United States America to enter the war on one side or see its natural commerce swept away.”

This case seems a strong one, but the British case, from the British point of view, is equally strong. The Briton, in effect, says—

“ To surrender the right of search and capture would ho to surrender in favour of our enemy the most powerful, in most cases the only instrument of defence which we possess. Without a blockade exercised in just the way which created such American wrath in 1915 and 1916, Germany could never have been defeated.”

These were the very measures which America herself enforced when she in turn entered the war. The policy which, as a neutral, she declared to be intolerably tyrannical, was the policy which she adopted when a belligerent. It is because there is so much to be said for both standpoints, because that standpoint is apt to each to seem so strong, that the danger of collision is correspondingly great.

However, a possible solution has been suggested, says Foreign Affairs, by Mr. Chas. P. Howland, one of the bestknown American students of international affairs and Director of Research for the Council on Foreign Relations. He offers this formula for a possible treaty— The contracting parties agree not to interfere with neutral non-contraband commerce at sea in case of a private war (a war of the old variety). The contracting parties will not insist on the traditional rights of neutral trade in case of public war (waged under the League). Professor Shotwell, of Columbia, a year or two since, urged a variant of the above formula to the effect that the United States should make a declaration accepting the League definition of “aggressor" and agreeing to close its ports and markets to such a State. This would furnish so strong a motive to a prospective belligerent for arbitrating first in order to secure access to American markets for its materials of war, that arbitration would be assured.

And once arbitration is assured, the risk of war is reduced to vanishing point.

The big articulated Garratt railway engine received its first real trial run yesterday morning, when it loft at 10.50 o’clock for Packakariki. It is understood the Tun was satisfactory in every way. The engines are intended to do away with the double-heading and banking now necessary occasionally on steep grades.

A surfaceman on the New Zoalanci Railways, James Leslie Ilendorson, stepped out of the road of a train at Dunedin yesterday afternoon and in doing so, placed himself in front of a moving truck. He was knocked down and received head injuries, necessitating his removal to hospital. Henderson is a married man aged 40 and resides at Caversham. His condition is not serious.

The annual communication of the Masonic Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Hew Zealand was held in Palmerston North yesterday the sitting First Grand Principal (Sir Chas. Fergusson, Gov-ernor-General) being in charge of the meeting. There was a largo attendance of representatives from all over Hew Zealand. The day was occupied with business of a domestic nature and in the evening the successor to Sir Charles, who is Mr G. S. Gordon, of Wanganui, was installed in office. Mr J. A. Russell presided over the monthly meeting of the ManawatuOroua branch of the Hew Zealand Pig Breeders’ Association, which was held yesterday. Also present were Messrs ,T. Macfarlane, H. E. Thurston, \V. P. Bickers, 0. C. Ellerm, C. S. C. Dernier and the secretary (Mr E. P. Nielsen.) It was decided to forward the following nominations for junior judges at shows to the Now Zealand Council: Messrs A. Lassen (Ashhurst), H. Bickers (Feilding), J. Morgan (Wcraroa), and A. Cotter (Palmerston North.) ,