| Show FREEDOM OF THE SEAS tl F Tl REEDO I of the seas should be beL i L the tho great objective of ot the Ule United States tes government nt In its controversy with Great Britain an and l Germany German Neutral nations cnn can never be wholly holl dl disassociated from tho the pains and penalties penalties pen pen- allies of ot war so 10 long as 33 the ocean lanes ancs ma may 1 bo be 0 closed at will whenever any enjoys tho the power to todo todo todo do so so A A. nation at peace when others are arc areat areat at war Is spared the painful experience experience experience ence of or bloodshed on its own o soil be be- cause ause Its territorial integrity may not be violated A nation at peace should enjoy the same Immunity at sea for tor forthe th he the sea is the common property of 0 all nations and of ot all aU peoples It is the international highway of oC commerce and pleasure to which which all aU are permitted permitted permitted per per- free f-ee access without restriction and without embarrassment Since reaca Is the tho normal and war the abnormal abnormal ab ab- ab- ab normal condition of ot society society's common heritage of or a free tree sea ma may mayno mayno no more proper properly be Invaded in time of oC war than in time of ot peace Americas America's quarrel with Germany Is Isor of or greater gravity than Americas America's quarrel with England beca because se the ono ono touches ouches Amer American can lives and the other only American property Germany German challenges the right of American cItizens citizens citizens citi citi- zens to travel unhindered and unafraid unafraid un un- un- un afraid the common highways of or the sea Great Britain but challenges chal chal- lenges enges American commerce Germanys Germany's Gel Ger many's mans offense Is the greater because Germanys Germany's challenge schedules murder murder murder mur mur- der among amons- its specifications England so far faT as known has attacked no noncombatants non- non combatants ts has shed no drop of or Inno- Inno nt Americas America's cause Is that of or principle This nation seeks nothing to which Int international law does not entitle her lier asks no Immunity not guaranteed 1 by bythe bytho the tho laws of morality and o of or nations She rests her case upon the fundamental fundamental funda funda- mental mental principles of or humanity civilization civilization civili civili- has been hundred hundreds of ot years cars in building and will ill grasp the sword If occasion demands for nothing more sordid than the sanctity of ot human life lite In principle the United Stat States s must regard both England and Germany with a level and equal eye ee Both have transgressed cd and both are aro being called to a account count But the cries of the women worn wom en fl nJ an and children who sho went do down with the Lusitania murdered as surely as ns though their throats had been cut In their own homes b by a midnight thug must ever ring more loudly in American American Amerlean Amer Amer- ican lean ears than tho the plaints of ot baffled battled exporters The United States Slates will never novel go So to war to defend a cargo of ot cotton or of ot foodstuffs but a repetition repetition tion of tho the Lusitania horror would precipitate to 0 armed violence a nna nation nation na na- tion t that now clings s desperately to th the tho hope of ot permanent peace Freedom of ot the seas for tor American lives 11 and nd American an property Is 15 our demand and It will wUl be presented as firmly to tho the Court of ot St. St James Jamos a ato as ati asto to Pots Potsdam Wo Yo V w not Germans nor British French nor Russians We VC Weare are aro Americans Americana and the tho freedom of the theseas seas seM mu must t be ours I |
