DEFENDER OF NEUTRAL RIGHTS. 261 



civilization are so closely bound up with a broadening recognition of 

 the rights of neutrals that the defense of the ground gained during 

 the nineteenth century acquires a new significance and a new dignity. 



It is this situation that places upon the republics of the American 

 Continent a new and far-reaching obligation. Their defense of the 

 rights of neutrals will be all the more effective if they are conscious 

 of the fact that in making such defense they are at the same time 

 furthering the higher interests of humanity. There is a noticeable 

 tendency in the state documents issued by the parties to the present 

 struggle, to take the view that while neutral rights are all very well 

 in their way, they can only be recognized in so far as they do not 

 interfere with the eft'ective waging of war. It is this spirit which 

 dominates the British proclamation of November 2, 1914, the Ger- 

 man declaration of February 4, 191 5, and the British Order in Coun- 

 cil of March 15, 1915. In reading these documents one has the 

 impression of being thrown back into an earlier and more primitive 

 period. Even in language there is a striking similarity with some 

 of the documents issued during the Napoleonic struggle. It requires 

 little or no effort to understand the point of view which has dictated 

 these documents, and one can not even repress a certain sympathetic 

 understanding of measures which are undoubtedly intended either to 

 safeguard fundamental national interests, or dictated by considera- 

 tions which are believed to be necessary to national self-preserva- 

 tion. But it is also well to remember that Napoleon as well as the 

 Allies were quite as sincere in 1807 as are the belhgerents of 1916, 

 and that had it not been for the "Armed Neutrality," on the one 

 hand, and the influence of the United States, on the other, the last 

 vestige of neutral rights would have disappeared, and with such 

 disappearance civilization would have descended to a distinctly 

 lower plane. 



International as well as municipal law develops as a result of a 

 compromise between conflicting interests, real or imaginary, and to 

 allow any state or group of states in the society of nations to pur- 

 sue a policy in flagrant disregard of the rights of third parties, is to 

 destroy the basis of order, law and settled rule. It is this situ- 

 ation which places so heavy a responsibility on the republics of 



