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CABINET OFFICfc RECORD C O P Y (THIS DOCUMENT I S THE PROPERTY OP HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)
CONFIDENTIAL
,
0.(52)
COPY NO.
255
.-.22ND JULY.
1952
CABINET
'
TERRITORIAL WATERS
J o i n t Memorandum "by t h e S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e
- ' - f o r t h e C o - o r d i n a t i o n o f T r a n s p o r t , F u e l and Power,
t h e F i r s t L o r d o f t h e A d m i r a l t y and t h e M i n i s t e r
of Transport
The S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e f o r F o r e i g n A f f a i r s i n v i t e s t h e
C a b i n e t t o d e c i d e now t o c h a n g e t h e way i n w h i c h t h e
t e r r i t o r i a l w a t e r s r o u n d t h e U n i t e d Kingdom a r e d e l i m i t e d .
He recommends a p p l i c a t i o n t o o u r c o a s t s o f t h e p r i n c i p l e s
e n u n c i a t e d b y t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o u r t i n t h e c a s e , o f Norway.
2.
We s t r o n g l y o p p o s e t h i s
recommendation.
3.
A p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e Norwegian p r i n c i p l e s n e c e s s a r i l y
means r e d u c t i o n i n t h e a r e a o f t h e h i g h s e a s .
Internal
w a t e r s w o u l d t h e r e b y b e g r e a t l y e x t e n d e d and t h e b e l t o f
t e r r i t o r i a l w a t e r s pushed out seawards.
The a d o p t i o n o f
these principles
throughout t h e w o r l d would b e a most
unwelcome d e v e l o p m e n t .
2;.
Our i n t e r e s t s a s a g r e a t n a v a l and m a r i t i m e power
demand t h e g r e a t e s t p o s s i b l e f r e e d o m o f movement f o r
s h i p p i n g i n p e a c e and t h e w i d e s t freedom f o r t h e e x e r c i s e
o f b e l l i g e r e n t r i g h t s i n war.
The f o l l o w i n g a r e t h e
p r i n c i p a l d i s a d v a n t a g e s w h i c h w o u l d f o l l o w from t h e g e n e r a l
a d o p t i o n o f e x t e n s i v e i n t e r n a l and t e r r i t o r i a l w a t e r s : ­
( a )
The R o y a l N a v y w o u l d b e h a m p e r e d i n w a r , b e c a u s e
i t i s not normally e n t i t l e d to take o f f e n s i v e
a o t i o n or t o e x e r c i s e b e l l i g e r e n t r i g h t s i n
neutral territorial waters.
Extension of
t h e s e w a t e r s w o u l d make i t h a r d e r t o k e e p
p o t e n t i a l l y h o s t i l e c o a s t s under o b s e r v a t i o n .
C o n v e r s e l y , t h e a d v a n t a g e t o a n enemy o n t h e
- defensive w o u l d be c o r r e s p o n d i n g l y i n c r e a s e d
s i n c e n e u t r a l s cannot c o n t r o l t h e i r i n t e r n a l
and t e r r i t o r i a l w a t e r s e f f e c t i v e l y i f t h e s e
became v e r y l a r g e .
( b )
Over i n t e r n a l w a t e r s t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f t h e
c o a s t a l s t a t e , even i n peace, i s complete
a n d f o r e i g n s h i p p i n g c a n o n l y u s e them o n
sufferance.
( c )
E x t e n s i o n o f i n t e r n a l and t e r r i t o r i a l w a t e r s
may i n t e r f e r e w i t h t h e u s e o f s t r a i t s ( e . g . .
E g y p t i a n i n t e r f e r e n c e w i t h t h e EMPIRE ROACH
h o u n d f o r Aqafca) and c h a n n e l s c l o s e t o t h e
s h o r e ( e . g . L o n d o n d e r r y ) , and w a t e r s i n
a r c h i p e l a g o s ( e . g . . I n d o n e s i a , G r e e c e ) . The
a r e a o f s e a under f o r e i g n j u r i s d i c t i o n i n
w h i c h o u r m e r c h a n t s h i p s may h e h o a r d e d and
d e l a y e d and s e a r c h e d w i t h o u t j u s t i f i c a t i o n
w i l l "be e n l a r g e d .
The r i s k s . o f a h u s e "by
f o r e i g n S t a t e s have i n c r e a s e d i n recent y e a r s .
(d.)
The f u r t h e r t e r r i t o r i a l w a t e r s l i e o f f t h e
c o a s t and t h e more t h e y a r e m e a s u r e d f r o m
a r t i f i c i a l " b a s e l i n e s , t h e more d i f f i c u l t
i t i s f o r t h e n a v i g a t o r t o know w h e t h e r ,
or n o t , he i s i n s i d e foreign waters.and,
c o n s e q u e n t l y , t h e g r e a t e r i s t h e danger o f
awkward i n c i d e n t s i n v o l v i n g B r i t i s h s h i p s .
( )
The a s s u m p t i o n o f s o v e r e i g n t y o v e r t h e s e a
c a r r i e s w i t h i t equal s o v e r e i g n t y over the
a i r aoove t h a t s e a .
( f )
Our d e e p s e a f i s h i n g f l e e t s t a k e 90 p e r c e n t
o f t h e B r i t i s h c a t c h . Any g e n e r a l s c r a m b l e
t o i n c r e a s e t h e area of e x c l u s i v e j u r i s d i c t i o n
o v e r t h e h i g h s e a s would p r o b a o l y l e a d t o t h e
e x c l u s i o n o f o u r d e e p s e a t r a w l e r s from some
of t h e i r present f i s h i n g grounds.
e
5s.
No c o u n t r y i s o h l i g e d t o a p p l y t h e N o r w e g i a n p r i n c i p l e s ,
and i d e a l l y t h e "broader i n t e r e s t s o f t h e U n i t e d Kingdom
w o u l d b e s t h e s e r v e d i f t h e r e were n o g e n e r a l a d o p t i o n
of t h e s e p r i n c i p l e s .
E v e n a s s u m i n g t h i s i s t o o much t o
h o p e , t h e n e x t "best o u t c o m e o f t h e judgment w o u l d "be a
v e r y moderate a p p l i c a t i o n of i t s p r i n c i p l e s which are
s u b j e c t i v e and o p e n t o w i d e d i f f e r e n c e s o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n .
6.
The main p u r p o s e o f t h e p r o p o s a l t o a d o p t t h e "base- .
l i n e method f o r U n i t e d Kingdom w a t e r s i s t o e n a b l e t h e
Moray F i r t h t o "be c l o s e d a g a i n s t f o r e i g n t r a w l e r s .
But
f o r t h e p r e s s u r e ffom S c o t t i s h inshore fishermen, t h e r e
w o u l d he no r e a s o n f o r Her M a j e s t y ' s Government t o c h a n g e
t h e i r practice at the present time.
Now t h e Moray F i r t h
i s 7 8 . m i l e s w i d e , and f o r t h e U n i t e d Kingdom t o a d o p t a b a s e ­
l i n e o f t h i s l e n g t h w o u l d s u r e l y k i l l any h o p e o f i n f l u e n c i n g
i n t e r n a t i o n a l o p i n i o n t o w a r d s m o d e r a t e a p p l i c a t i o n s of t h e
Norwegian p r i n c i p l e s .
On t h e c o n t r a r y , b y d r a w i n g a b a s e ­
l i n e 78 m i l e s l o n g , t h e U n i t e d Kingdom w o u l d h e g i v i n g a
h i g h l y immoderate l e a d t o t h e r e s t o f t h e world.
This s t e p
c o u l d not. f a i l t o h e i n t e r p r e t e d a s a s i g n i f i c a n t d e p a r t u r e
f r o m Her M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t s t r a d i t i o n a l m a i n t e n a n c e o f
t h e f r e e d o m o f t h e s e a s and f r o m t h e i r d e t e r m i n a t i o n t c
c o n t e s t u n j u s t i f i a b l e c l a i m s t o j u r i s d i c t i o n over B r i t i s h
shipping.
7.
On t h e o t h e r h a n d , Her M a j e s t y ' s Government n e e d n o t
h e h y a n y means a l o n e i n a t t e m p t i n g t o r e s t r i c t t o t h e
minimum t h e e f f e c t o f t h e Hague Court j u d g m e n t on e x i s t i n g
practices.
B e l g i u m , H o l l a n d , Denmark and e v e n P r a n c e and
Sweden a r e a l l i n t e r e s t e d t o a g r e a t e r o r l e s s e r e x t e n t
i n l i m i t i n g i n r o a d s i n t o t h e h i g h s e a s . Above a l l , - t h e r e ,
i s evidence that the United States' administration takes
a s i m i l a r v i e w t o o u r s on t h i s q u e s t i o n .
There i s a l s o
some r e a s o n t o h o p e t h a t t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Law C o m m i s s i o n
.
-2­
n
i t s e l f may e v e n t u a l l y f a v o u r m o d e r a t i o n .
The p r e l i m i n a r y
r e p o r t b y i t s r a p p o r t e u r a s k s the. Commission t o c o n s i d e r
a r u l e l i m i t i n g b a s e - l i n e s a c r o s s b a y s t o a maximum l e n g t h
of 10 m i l e s .
T h i s would b e i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h our p r e s e n t ,
p r a c t i c e a n d i s a s u g g e s t i o n t h a t we w o u l d c e r t a i n l y f a v o u r .
A d e c l a r a t i o n by s e v e r a l l e a d i n g maritime powers on t h e
importance of r e s t r i c t i n g n a t i o n a l j u r i s d i c t i o n over t h e sea
w o u l d . c o n s t i t u t e weighty e v i d e n c e which the"Commission would
b e bound t o t a k e i n t o a c c o u n t i n drawing up i t s r e p o r t .
8.
We u r g e t h a t t h e a t t i t u d e o f Her M a j e s t y ' s Government
oh t h i s s u b j e c t s h o u l d r e f l e c t t h e c o n f i d e n c e of a w o r l d
power whose p o l i c y l o o k s t o : f a r h o r i z o n s ,
We s u g g e s t i t
would be d i f f i c u l t t o defend l e g i s l a t i o n which subordinated
o u r w i d e n a v a l , m a r i t i m e , a v i a t i o n and f i s h e r i e s a f f a i r s
.
t o t h e narrower i n t e r e s t s of a s e c t i o n o f S c o t t i s h o p i n i o n ,
h o w e v e r much we may s y m p a t h i s e w i t h t h e m o t i v e s i n s p i r i n g
that opinion.
I n any e v e n t i t would be premature t o
l e g i s l a t e t o c h a n g e b u r l o n g - e s t a b l i s h e d p o l i c y b e f o r e we
h a v e s e e n what s u p p o r t we c a n r a l l y .
We p r o p o s e t h a t a t
p r e s e n t t h e U n i t e d Kingdom s h o u l d r e s e r v e i t s own p o s i t i o n
in order to strengthen Its influence ih attempting to secure
i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y the narrowest possible i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of the
new Hague C o u r t p r i n c i p l e s a n d t h e s h o r t e s t p o s s i b l e b a s e ­
lines.
9.
We a c c o r d i n g l y recommend
( i )
( i i )
( i i i )
­
t h a t the Cabinet should decide not t o accept i n
p r i n c i p l e the use of b a s e - l i n e s by the United
Kingdom, a t l e a s t u n t i l e v e r y t h i n g p o s s i b l e ,
i n c l u d i n g s u i t a b l e approaches t o governments
w i t h s i m i l a r v i e w s , h a s b e e n done t o i n f l u e n c e .
I n t e r n a t i o n a l opinion towards moderation;
t h a t P r o f e s s o r L a u t e r p a c h t , t h e B r i t i s h member o f
t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Law C o m m i s s i o n , s h o u l d b e g i v e n
f u r t h e r g u i d a n c e t o t h e e f f e c t t h a t Her M a j e s t y ' s
Government w o u l d w i s h t o s e e t h e s h o r t e s t
possible b a s e - l i n e s adopted;
t h a t t h e Departments, p r i n c i p a l l y concerned should
c o n s i d e r t h e b e s t means o f p u r s u i n g t h e o b j e c t
described i n the second part of
recommendation ( i ) above.
L.
J.P.L.T.
A.L-B.
22nd J u l y ,
1952