CO537-6036 — Page 49

81

PSR 6709/68

349/18A

Dear Allen,

28th June, 1950

You wrote to Ceneral Money on 9th June about the 12 mile limit of territorial waters claimed in the Provisional Swatow Customs Law.

Whatever

The Ministry's policy is to mintain that territorial waters are limited by international law to 3 miles. the historical arguments may be - and here the range of gunfire see:s a little irrelevant, for in times of emergency there is a recognised right under international law to take steps for self-preservation, the limitation of territorial waters notwithstanding - it is quite clear that we ought, as the principal maritime country, to maintain that the jurisdiction of other countries should be as compressed as possible, so as to avoid the possibility of searches and delays to those of our vessels which would be affected. The claims of Communiat states are a case in point: their use of the 12 mile limit woulé olsarly be detrimental to the interests of British shipping.

Thære are several other considerations which support that principal contention - for instance, the fact that the

/exact

D.F. Allen, Esq.,

Ministry of Transport Representative

for the Far East,

215, 2nd Floor,

Fullerton Building,

Singapore.

: