Patea & Waverley Press WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 1919. THE FREEDOM OF TEE SEAS

Patea Mail, Volume XLIII, 30 July 1919, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 1919. THE FREEDOM OF TEE SEAS

TUB avoixls “ f-Vecdom of the Sr-;is’’ arc words (hat have been (••■:>nstanl ly 1o Iho fore during the last IwoJve months, particularly prior to and during the recent peace negotiations. It would bo as well, therefore, if the public were given some information which would enable them to grasp tlie meaning of the words, particularly when applied in connection with Britain and the British Navy. To begin Avith the meaning of (he words as at pre-

sent understood is that the high seas outside of territorial Avaters are free to any ship of any nation. In other Avords, the high seas are no mail’s, and can he used by anyone in spite of Avhalever Avar may be i aging. This doctrine, however, Avas not accepted four centuries ago. (hi the contrary, a Papal aAvard in I-hLJ—Avhen the Pope Avas the supremo international arbiter —- I) radically gave a monopoly of the Avorld’s seas to Spain and Portugal, and for a century thereafter ships of all nation;-; but these voyaged at their peril in the South Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. This state of affairs Avas changed by the first great victory of the British fleet ■ —the defeat of the Spanish Armada Avhieh threAV open these oceans to the marincis of the world. But even then the freedom of the Avholc seas Avas not by any means an established fact. The Bui eh naval suprem-

ney .viK-f-eedcd to tl.o Spanish and prae lie-ally established a Dutch monopoly of all Avaters east of the Straits of .Malacca. Tills rest riel ion, ItoAvevcr. came to an end in the seventeenth c-an-tiiry with the British (loots’ victories over the Dutch in various halt los. "“From that date onwards the open sons of the Avorld have been available for the ship:; of all nations. The era of freedom of the seas is thus coincident Avith the era of British naval supremacy. It is a simple and undeniable historical fact that Britain, though holding the mas-

Dry of the seas for the past throe hundred yrarr. Inis never at any period attempted to rest rkd the use of any portion of 1 lie seas in any part of the vrorld. But it does not Polloav by any moans (hat if another poAver succeeded to the British naval supremacy it Avould never he tempted to misuse its poAver. Jt

Humid lie horn(r in mind, particularly by those avlio are shortsighted enough to object to the heavy expenditure required to keep the Navy at it-; proper sirenglh that oven Avhen the Haim of the Spaniards and the Dutch to a monopoly of the use of certain seas had been destroyed by Britain, there still remained a grave rest rid ion upon the free movement of poaed.nl commerce on account of the piracy that Avas rampant. The destruction of piracy and the freeing of the seas in A'arious parts of the world has been due almost entirely to the British Navy. The Avork has been carried out at the expense of Britain, and of course iu the interests of British trade, Iml it has benefited other nations equally as avcll. Thus in two ways, the freedom of the seas has been due to British naval supremacy, and it will ■ seen at once that it Avould hr he false economy at any time curtail the British Navy .n such

a way that this Treed-nn c-otdd 1> ; . !■’,|. !l has to ho homo in mind that no nation, hoAvcvor si i-oiig upon tlu-' so;ts. dare rest rich the freedom of their use

■udoss that nation had it strong military force to hack up its Hahns/ Britain had not such a si rung- military force tit its command hut it is sale to assert Bud if 1 1 imd it would not be found abusing- its power. The same avc ■Ur inclined to think, cannot he said of other nations, Germany for example judging by the arrogance that has been displayed. If naval supremacy a; ere to have fallen into Germany’s hands al a Mum Avhen site had an army sttlii(,Dully large hi terrorise other powers there is no dotthl that pm freedom of Ihe setts as a! present understood would have lymi a thing of the past and rebp ;‘H ions of various kinds Avould i T./v been imposed upon the use jof the world’s, sea-going ■ s! .--ays. Thanks to Britain’s 5 vv to a very large extent. (I'Twas unable to triumph in I:! ’■ great war and the setts or the Mo-Id to-day are free for all. The people particularly (hose on I lying portions ot the will, if they are wise B c to it Unit the British navy is ■■pt np-to its full strength at all Macs for it is on that branch of Hi< service Bud the Aveallh. BjiVt y and slrenglh of (he KingBom chiefly depend. \Vißt Bte ■avy enriailed in such a avjiv as render it powerless to enforce

thc freedom of the seas as at present knoAvn, there arc no limitations that may not be imposed by an unscrupulous nation superior in strength, on sea or land in the use of the seas. YVc hope that from now omvard one of the foremost planks in the platform of every statesman Avill bo the maintenance of the British Navy at full strength. In no oilier Avay can the freedom of the seas be assured.