A plea for free access to the sea brings President
Wilson to ground on which be has been often beguiled by the Germans into discussing the question of what ie called freedom of the seas. Un- fortunately he does not define the term. He only tells us that it is the sine qua non of peace, equality, and co-operation, which is not Very helpful. In these circumstances we can only suggest a tine of interrogation. Does he mean by the " freedom of the
seas" that the Power which happens to possess sufficient naval strength to obtain the command of tho sea should be com- pelled, when engaged in a war for the preservation of her safety and independence, to forfeit that advantage, lest her enemies and neutrals anxious to have complete freedom of trade with those enemies should declare that the freedom of the seas has been violated ? If that is what is meant by " freedom of the seas," we can only say that it is incompatible with the maintenance of the independence of an island kingdom like Great Britain. We have obtained the command of the seas, not by accident, but as a matter of absolute self-preservation. Without the oommaad of the sea we are a doomed people—a fact which adds yet one more difficulty to the formidable list of obstaoles to that ideal recon- struction of Europe without which President Wilson will not play at the new diplomatic game of Leagues.
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