File No. 861.0145/9a.
The Acting Secretary of State to the American Ambassador.
Washington, January 19, 1912.
Sir: Referring to the despatch No. 452 of January 16, 1911, in which your predecessor forwarded a translation of a project of law introduced into the Duma by the Chief Administration of Land and Agriculture which contemplated the extension of the area of Russian control over fisheries to a distance of twelve miles from the shores of the Archangel Government, as well as over the whole of the White Sea, and to his despatch No. 592 of June 21, 1911, reporting the passage of such a project of law by the Duma and the Council of Empire, the Department has to bring to your attention an item which appeared in the American newspapers of December 13 last to the effect that as a result of protests by the interested Powers “Russia has abandoned her claim to introduce a twelve-mile limit in the waters of the White Sea.” In view of this statement, it is desired that you report upon the present status of the Russian Government’s proposals to extend its jurisdiction, for the purposes of the control of fisheries, over the whole of the White Sea, and to a limit of twelve miles over marginal seas.
It is also desired that you should endeavor circumspectly to ascertain and report to the Department whether any protest has been made by the interested Powers against the similar extension of the area of control over the marginal waters of the Maritime Governor-Generalship as provided by the law of May 29/June 11, 1911, of which a translation was forwarded in the Embassy’s No. 641 of July 21st last.
I am [etc.]