FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1919, Page 5

FREEDOM OF THE SEAS

THE AMERICAN FORMULA. OBJECTION TO OVEKPO WEEING SINGLE NAVY. Received Feb. 4, 0.50' p.m'. New Vork, Feb. 2. A Paris message dtates th?,t the American delegation is read/ to submit to the Great Powers what it thinks constitutes the freedom of the seas, aud What the United States expects the Peace Congress to do regarding the government of navies and mercantile marine as follows^ 1. No nation shall have a fleet so large as to be able to control the seas. 2. The sea rules laid down at time oi peace shall ha unchanged while war is progressing. 3. Every nation, whether belligerent or neutral, shall be held to strict accountability by the League of Nations for the observance oi the sea rulea in time of war. 4. Contraband shall he explicitly defined in tune of pt?.w, and no neutral shall ship contraband to a belligerent, nor Bhall the ships of neutral* attempt to run the blockade. 5. The submarine shall be greatly restricted—preferably forbidden, altogether. The American delegates deny that the British Fleet is the only fleet in the world strong enough to control the seas without the assistance of other uations. The American delegates contend that a single fleet powerful enough to defeat the combined naval forces of the world cannot be maintained without giving that Power unfair advantages, which is contrary to thj spirit of the League of Nations. They answer the contention that the American position is aimed against England's by saying that United States knows the British Fleet never wauld be used against her. The delegates make it clear that whatever the maximum naval force allowed one Power the United States will have the right to build a fleet equal to thai, Power. Eeceived Feb. i, 5.0.35 p.m. New York, Feb. 2. The American representatives contend that the practices applying, to contraband and the right to visit and search cause trouble between belligerents and neutrals whenever wars are in progress. It is realiaad that the severity of the British Navy in this and other ways, preventing Germany from obtaining supplies, had much to do with winning the war, but the hope is expressed that Britain will agree to a modification of the rules that will remove friction and the ill-feeling caused by these practices. It is pointed out that in the event of war between England and Germany contraband shipped from the United States to Holland might find its way into Germany The American proposal is that all neutral governments enlisted in the League of Nations would bind tuemselves not to tranship contraband into a belligerent territory; thus, if cotton were contraband of war, and the United States shipped cotton to Holland, Holland would be bound by its obligations to the League to prevent the cotton from getting hito Germany. In the case of affiliation the league would provide tlu means of heavy punishment—Aua. and N.Z. Cable Assoc 1 " ■ ' r