Show Freedom of Seas Policy Will Involve United States In Shooting War Roosevelt's Order Goes Further Than Wilson's Famed Doctrine The thoughts of many Americans who listened to the President's address of September turned back more than twenty In long ago President Wilson laid down his famous doctrine of freedom of the seas a doctrine that held that any cargo ship of any neutral nation was entitled to travel the oceans of the world without is the doctrine that President Roosevelt is holding to It is the doctrine which was one cause of our try in World War in the opinion of many it is 1 the doctrine which is likely to lead us into active shooting participation in World War Roosevelt has gone farther than did He holds that the presence of enemy submarines and surface raiders in waters considered essential to American defense and will be considered prima facie evidence of the intention to Just what these essential waters are is not It seems to be the President's position that in modern war it is impossible to establish fixed geographical boundaries beyond which our vital interests not It is at certain that the President considers the North where German warships are most within the sphere which this nation will That means that American warships may convoy merchant shipping clear into British and that any hostile vessel encountered may be fired upon and if More Incidents The order to carry this policy into effect has been issued under Roosevelt's immense powers as Commander in Chief of the military forces of the United And now this country is wondering just what to The logical thing to anticipate is more and more important incidents of the sort that occurred when the U. S. destroyer Greer encountered a German The position of American naval ships is no longer made but it Is generally believed that we have a major tion of floating gun power roving about the The Atlantic fleet will shortly be substantially bolstered by the addition of new battleships and cruisers which have left the ways and are being outfitted the great man-of-war North Carolina recently successfully underwent her firing tests and is now In There is little question but what the American navy is today the most powerful on And there is little question any longer but what it will be used to the limit in attempting to win the Battle of the Atlantic a battle whose field of action is the Atlantic and whose greatest activity Is found in the odd miles of blue water which lie between American occupied Iceland and the British Germany's Stand German response to the President's speech was that was taking an untenable and that under the rules of Germany was entitled to with or without merchantmen carrying supplies to There may be some abstract logic in that Nazi but there is grim irony in Hitler's spokesmen talking about international Hitler has proven time and again that he observes the laws of nations and only when they suit his This is a war to the and none of observe international statutes which were established long ago in times of Some are convinced that the full participation of the American navy will definitely prove a solution to Britain's crucial supply The English navy is but it has sustained major losses and it must attempt to police most of the There simply aren't enough British fight ing craft available to provide adequate for the merchantmen that bring the sinews of along with the basic necessities of from the new world to the No Opposition There is little effective opposition to the president's The in House and v- aim more in the It is reported that Wendell Willkie will actively support GOP congressmen next year who have backed and voted for the President's foreign America First Committee spokesmen have been talking to often unfriendly America hasn't been carried away with martial spirit but that spirit is |