TERRITORIAL WATERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 October 1939, Page 7

TERRITORIAL WATERS

*o. SAFETY-ZONE PROPOSAL NAVAL CIRCLES INTERESTED [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] (Recd. October 14, 1-1.30 a.m.) RUGBY, October 13. Interest has been aroused in naval circles in London by unofficial reports received of important decisions reached at the Panama Conference of the Republics of America, to the effect that a. neutral or safety zone, of variouslystated depths from the coast, is to be established. It is understood that the zone is in no way intended as an extension of territorial waters, but belligerents are to be invited to accept a limitation of their operations, which would be involved by the scheme. This way of proceeding, it is agreed among experts here, is clearly the wisest, since while the belligerents, and particularly the Allies, may be anxious to assist all neutral countries in keeping war from the proximity of their coasts, it must be for them to decide whether or not to accept the restrictions, which would limit their enjoyment of certain well-established rights. On the other hand, neutral States are entitled and are bound to demand, that belligerents shall abstain from hostilities in their territorial waters, and it is not a hostile act if a neutral repels, even by force., an attack upon his neutrality. During the Great War, Norway, Sweden, Spain, and Holland forbade the belligerents’ submarines to enter their territorial waters, except in case of distress.

Authorities on naval history point out that, in olden times, many extravagant claims were put forward by various nations as to the limit of their territorial waters, but since those days, such claims have been drastically modified. an,d it is now generally recognised that no country can properly claim jurisdiction over large areas of ocean, nor the right to control or exclude the movements of foreign ships on the high seas. This applies equally to belligerents' operations, though a belligerent can, of course, restrict his operations of his own free will, if he so wishes.

Since the Great War, the importance of the limit of territorial waters has been brought to the notice of the public in several ways, among others, by reason of the National Prohibition Act of America. Resulting from discussion with Great Britain, an agreement was reached at Washington, in 1924, whereby the United States was given the right to board and examine any British vessel suspected of being engaged in liquor smuggling, at a distance from the coast that could be traversed by that vessel in one hour. By the same agreement, Britain and America declared their firm intention to uphold the principle that three marine miles, extending from the coastline outwards, and measured from lowwater mark, should constitute the proper limits of territorial waters. Similar agreements were subsequently entered into by America with Germany and Sweden.

Certain bays, straits and canals have from time to time been the subject of special international agreement, so that when questions of jurisdiction or sovereignty arise, careful reference must be made to any agreements applicable to the particular case. The width of the general belt of territorial waters is now widely accepted as being three miles.