What is Meant by the Freedom of the Seas

Extract

Freedom is a relative term. It involves limitations as well as rights. There is no such thing as absolute freedom of any kind. A man is free only when his neighbors are limited. The matter is one of adjustment. As to the seas, the question is not one of “whether,” but of “how much.” It is, therefore, not surprising that there is a wide divergence of opinion as to what the term “freedom of the seas” means.

Each world Power has certain major and certain minor interests, and it is from this point of view that each fixes its definition of terms. Possibly peace will come about through an agreement on phrases, the divergences of opinion appearing only on conference; but when this country speaks of the “freedom of the seas” as a necessary peace term, it states nothing more definite than if it had said, “we want peace with honor.”

Freedom of the seas in time of peace is so generally acknowledged that it is hard to realize it was not so very long ago, as the course of history runs, that America fought for this principle. For a long time it was strenuously asserted that the cruisers of one nation might lawfully search merchant vessels of another nation in time of peace. Algiers, Tripoli, Tunis, and Morocco, in the early part of the last century, supported themselves by tribute levied on commerce as an alternative to piratical depredations. America’s first military excursion to Europe put a stop to this practice.