711.419/50a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Harvey)58
329. [Paraphrase.] Department’s no. 295, October 22, 5 p.m.
The French authorities have raised the point at Paris that vessels which pass through the English Channel to ports east of France might be subjected, under the proposed treaty, to embarrassing searches. As the proposed text of the treaty shows, this Government has no plan to obstruct the movements of any vessel in innocent voyage along either the ocean or channel coast whether within or without the three-mile limit. We seek rather to make easier the right to check the vessel which is hovering off a coast to introduce in fraudulent manner articles which are prohibited within the adjacent territory. In order to leave no question about the matter, a change has been incorporated in article I, which clarifies the point as noted below. To institute searches at sea of vessels which are in transit on commercial enterprises between other countries is not contemplated by this Government. [End paraphrase.]
Following the words contained in paragraph 1, article I, of text which you have, “board the private vessels of the other”, insert the words “which are hovering off said coasts”.
[Paraphrase.] You are instructed to submit the above change to the Foreign Office if you have already communicated to it the text of the draft as changed by Department’s no. 295. Repeat this instruction to The Hague as Department’s no. 54 as containing amendment of text in Department’s no. 52, October 22, to the Minister in the Netherlands. [End paraphrase.]
- See last paragraph for instructions to repeat to The Hague as no. 54.↩