The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-19
The British Coast Patrol

Outside the three-mile limit the British cruisers
under international law have the right to "hover"
or "prowl" up and down our coast to their hearts
content. Just what they may may not do
within the territorial waters of the United States.
that is, within the three-mile limit is not clearly
established although, of course they cannot "act
hostile" OF pursue the right of visit and search
or take prizes. Probably their right to remain
within the three-mile limit should be governed
by the satne rule that covers the right of bel
ligerent to take shelter in neutral port. He
may stay in the latter no longer than twenty-four
hours (unless he has obtained permission to eff
feet repairs) and as he enjoys exactly the same
immunity from attack within the three-mile limit
as ne does in the neutral harhor it would seem
reasonable that he should not be permitted to
take refuge there for any greater length of time.
The British cruisers that were "blockading"
the port of New York earlier in the war did so.
of course outside of the three-mile limit and when
they departed at the request of Secretary Bryan,
as he narrates in his letter to Senator Stone they
did so as an act of courtesy and not because the
United States could elect treat the act of Great
Britain in keeping constant surveillance over
American harbors as offensive threatening and
act accordingly, if the practice were not stopped
at their request. But that would raise questions
of fact and Great Britain would bring to the at
tention of the government what OF course It
knows quite we'll already, namely that many great
German steamers lie with steam up and their
crews on board ready to dash out of New York
harbor if occasion offers; that the United States
has not made proper search of them and has not
the legal machinery to do so, to see if they have
guns and ammunition aboard as it is commonly
supposed they have, since they are most of them
auxiliary cruisers of the imperial navy. 1t is
true that the government has taken precautions
to prevent these ships from leaving New York
harbor except in due form, but the efficacy of these
precautions would undoubtedly be questioned by
the British government which would point out
with justice that it was our duty to intern the
officers and crew of the Eitel Friedrich and the
Kronprnz Wilhelm, notwithstanding which a
number of them have departed for parts unknown
in we'll found and seaworthy vessel and with
ample supplies of food and-as far anybody
Iknows-weapons, while others have oozed from
sight from time to time in other directions. The
British government would also remind of the
case of the Sacramento which was allowed to de-
part from San Francisco, over the protest OF the
British consul with a cargo of supplies purchased,
as it afterwards transpired, by the then German
consul, Won Setback, and which subsequently
captured" off the coast ,of Chile by Won Specs
squadron of German cruisers.
Once the British are assured that pred
atory organisms"-of which we appear to have an
abundance in one form another-will leave New
York to harry British shipping or give aid to
Britain's enemies in some other way the ubiqui-
tous cruisers will, doubt, be withdrawn. For
however Objectionable they may be to Mr.. w. R.
Hearst and some others the British naturally
hat NIL
and it is not to be supposed that with much on
their hands they are willing to relegate valuable
warships to the unfruitful pastime of collecting
Uncle Sans angora We therefore take leave to
suggest that like so many other contretemps that
have made good newspaper copy in the past this
new menace" will presently disintegrate into the
circumambient atmosphere whence war CORE
spondents and their wares are alike conjured by
the light hand Of journalism de luxe.