AMERICAN WATERS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 2, 27 September 1939, Page 10

AMERICAN WATERS

Excluding’ Belligerent

Action

PANAMA CONFERENCE MOVE

By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright. (Received September 26, 7.5 p.m.)

NEW YORK, Sept. 25.

The Panama City correspondent of the “New York Times” states that the Pan-American Foreign Ministers will urge belligerents to refrain from hostile actions, including the search and seizure of vessels in American waters south of the Canadian border, and will provide in consultation means to enforce compliance by those unwilling to agree. This is likely to be the conference’s most important action. The details are still in abeyance.

The Cubans, Chileans and others have plans ranging from a three-mile limit to halfway across the Atlantic and Pacific. The actual distance is unimportant, as the long range implication is such as to upset the traditional freedom of the seas. Partisans argue that the belligerents have no right to interfere with purely inter-American shipping and must reserve searches and seizures for zones outside the lines travelled by Pan-American ships. Several delegations are reported to be in favour of a co-operative- naval patrol of the American republics. Offer of U.S. Aid. The United States Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Sumner 'Welles, opening the conference, offered to Latin America the economic co-opera-tion of the United States and the assistance of the United States merchant marine in order to help to cushion Ihe effect of the war in the Western Hemisphere. He asserted that the 'Western Republics were determined to defend themselves and their rights, and he called on the delegates to state emphatically. “We cannot agree that the security of our nationals and their legitimate commercial interests should be jeopardized by belligerent activities in close proximity to the shores of the New World.” Recalling the disruption of American shipping in 1914. Mr. 'Welles said that the United States felt that an “opportunity is at present afforded us each and severally to assure ourselves and each other that it shall not occur again.’’ He said he was authorized to state the position of the United States as follows: “While the present situation continues the regular facilities of shipping lines at present in operation will not only be curtailed but. 1 hey will be strengthened and increased whenever an increase is desirable or feasible.” He expressed the opinion that the republics desired to consider the rights and duties of neutrals to obtain “complete respect by all belligerents of our respective sovereignties.”

MOVE BY COSTA RICA LONDON, September 25. Moscow radio states that Costa Rica is considering the occupation of Cocos Island, in the eastern Pacific, to prevent its use as a submarine base. Cocos Island is to the south-west of Costa. Rica and about 400 miles west-south-west of,Panama. It is not to be confused with Cocos, or Keeling Islands, in the Indian Ocean.