Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1912

File No. 850d.00/175.

The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.

No. 179.]

American Embassy,
St. Petersburg, February 9, 1912.

Sir: I have the honor to enclose the original and translation of a note sent me by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in regard to my inquiries in connection with Spitzbergen.

You will notice that in the closing sentence my despatch No. 173 of February 3rd, in regard to the Russian attitude on the extension of jurisdiction on the open sea to twelve miles, is confirmed.

I have [etc.]

Curtis Guild.

[Inclosure.—Translation.]

The Minister for Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador

Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
St. Petersburg, January 25/February 7, 1912.

Mr. Ambassador: Your excellency has expressed the desire to be informed on the present situation in regard to Spitsbergen, and also on the project of law extending the zone of jurisdiction over the fisheries in the waters of the Archangel Government to 12 marine miles.

I have the honor, therefore, to inform you that in accordance with an understanding which has just been effected between the three Powers of the North, the Governments which have taken part in the Conference sitting at Christiania this January will communicate to the Norwegian Government their observations on the project of the convention elaborated by this Conference. The Norwegian Government on its side, having received these observations, will not fail to remit to the Governments which have received the original project of the Spitzbergen Convention the texts of the convention and of the arrangement which have just been elaborated. These Governments will be invited to examine them and asked to send their replies in due time to the three Powers of the North in order that the latter may exchange views in regard to these replies before the final invitation to the conference which the Norwegian Government proposes to convoke in the near future, if possible in June of the current year.

As regards the jurisdiction over the fisheries in the waters of the Archangel Government, the project relating to it is still being studied by one of the Committees of the Duma of the Empire, and it is difficult at this time to fix the date on which it will be submitted to the examination of the Duma in full sitting.

Please accept [etc.]

Sazonoff.