And Sea Freedom
slic never possessed..
T took the threat of a world and hypocritically, altruistic virtues
the imminent menace of the tide of Nazism to make a world As Mr. Michael Lewis, Professor of people realise that Britain, in of History at the Royal Naval - her role of Mistress of the Seas, College, Greenwich, points out in was in reality the champion of the "British Ships and British Sea- Freedom of the Seas: that the men" (published for the British occans she had won with her great. Council by Longmans Green & Navy, were, by those very con- quests, thrown open for the use of
all.
The British warship, indeed, has become the counterpart of the British policeman, and every habi- tual' user of the sea, whatever his nationality, recognised this truth long ago. No seafarer was ever afraid of a British ship of war, provided that his conscience told him he was bound on his lawful occasions. On the contrary, he felt nothing but security when it was by, and recognised it for the good tempered law enforcement officer that it was, and is,
Great Britain's role as Mistress of the Seas, and her extreme inter- est in the preservation of the free- dom of the great ocean highways to all who would pass along them in the way of peace, has been dis- torted and maligned by many on the Continent.
The Nazis accused her of tyranny and repression, of using
her naval
arm to encircle
less
powerful nations, and of parading,
Night Ashore
(Continued from Page 2)
"I've got a wire for you, Cap- tain," interposed the agent. Quin lan opened it before answering Bullough,
"Sorry for everything; call it he read over square!"
Mona's
Co., London), few continentals have any first hand knowledge of the ways of British ships on the waters.
Let them he advises, seek out from among their own people seafarers whom they can. trust, and obtain their indepen- dent testimony.. Let them say whether they have ever known
British warship that was fussy, petty minded, hectoring or deliberately unjust; that was not on the contrary, good tem- pered, tactful, and strictly im- partial.
But why should Britain take upon herself the troublesome and expensive role of policing the seas? People who are not British might reasonably, as Mr, Lewis suggests, object to being asked to believe that Britain is altogether altruistic in this important mat- ter, and that she takes up a bur- densome and exacting duty just for the love of her fellow men- such claims would even though
be in part truth.
But:
hope for a fair hearing on the other half of her case: which is that, it paid every other sca- user too.
Mr. Lewis traces the develop- ment of Britain's sea power, and how she gained the ability to rid the seas of pirates and render them safe to the merchant. All who used the seas, profited, but naturally those who used them most gained the most, and Britain, by the development of her trade, had most at stake.
But though it is undeniable that: Britain gained the most by this new state of affairs, and was therefore perfectly satisfied to maintain it at her own coat, there remains the other half of the answer. All other sea users benefited-and what is more benefited without appreciable cost to themselves. Britain kept the seas, but she kept them in everybody's interests as well as her own. We may even go a step further and say that it was to her own interest to do so.. This, in its economic aspect, is the Pax Brittanica
Bri- tain... still lives by her cam- merce, so that it is still as much to her
advantage as ever to maintain the greatest possible volume of world trade. By what distorted process of logic, then, can it be argued, as some pre- tend to-day, that Britain seeks to oust whole peoples out of the markets of the world? Is she so bent, then, on cutting her own throat?
▼
Lady Ward, wife of Sir John Ward, who has given her house in London as a Distribution centre for British Medical and Civilian Ald, is seen here at work amongst some of the gifts, watched by Mr. Bertram Cruger, of the Chase National Bank and British representative of the Allled Relief Fund.——— (Copyright, Fox.)
Britain, whose people have for long been free them- selves, does believe in Freedom, in itself, in all forms, and in all places in social liberty, in politi- cal self determination, and in
The services Britain has render- economic freedom everywhere. ed the world in maintaining sea But Britain's ill wishers in other freedom and sea safety are divid- lands seems to find a constitutional ed by the author into two main difficulty in believing that any people can be altruistic even in of the seas to all (in distinction to groups: The literal throwing open part, or can experience any senti- the old idea held by the Spanish ment whatever of collective gen- and Portuguese Empires, of the in the interests of human freedom, erosity. It is a pity, to put it
16th century, or
to that of the and her use of it to oppose the ag- mildly, that they have no experi Dutch, and even the English, of gression of any strong continental
whereby each power power upon its neighbours, "Never fret about repayments, ence of their own to show that the 17th,
they may be wrong... sir,"
Lord Bullough. he told
claimed
individual stated with sharp and convincing that certain "Here's the answer-call
Mr. Lewis it
demonstrates quite stretches of water were its own clarity. square." He swung on the agent: clearly that there is at least; "a exclusive property, in which the "See here, get this hooker turn- modicum of altruism" in British outsider could sail only as a tres- ed round one-time;
looks policy, but, taking as his immedi- passer), and then the suppression like making a record run home." ate concern the economic aspect of piracy, the arch-enemy of law- He watcher Lord Bullough return of Britain's control of the seas in ful trade. Britain's activities aboard the glittering Semiramis; the last century, he affirms that this direction make fascinating saw Lady Sheila's indifference to her attitude is not primarily al-
truistic. the returning prodigal.
name.
she
"I'd rather have a proper ship and a real girl!" he informed Mac- fee. "Maybe I'll buy a share in this wreck and we'll run her as she should be run."
in
reading, but it has been conceived and written so economically that She has had one very good it covers an immense feld-it reason for sher, policy-one shows for instance, how Britain which every one will under- has promoted the safety of sea "stand. It paid her. And having travel; its chapters which treat of admitted this much;' we niay Britain's' wider use of sea power
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are
Britain's normal foreign policy--the preservation of the Balance of Power in Europé— concerns Us
by preventing any one power from dominating the mainland, she is also 'aiding all peoples' whose freedom and self deter-i mination are threatened by the would be dominator: and sho has done so consistently for many centuries. ...
It is a proud tradition. .It is only Indirectly based upon proudly stated facts, here, But one aspect of it, her and in this-slim but fascinating opposition to the aggression of volume, Mr. Lewis shows (with- any strong Continental Power out saying), why it is that many upon its neighbours must neutrals to-day are gradually needs be mentioned, since it is coming to the realisation that any exactly parallel in its general threat to British sea power is, effect to her attitude toward the directly and menacingly, a threat Freedom of the Seas. Here too, to their own way of life, and to though undoubtedly she gains their happiness.