The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-06-22
Britain Is
ofRunnPlan .
Suggestion of l2-Mile Search
Limit Fails to Shock Ma
ton, but Reply Will
Be Delayed.
Embarrassed by Russia
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

By MARK SULLIVAN.
London, June 21-There will be
some delay about the finaf answer
of the British to Secretary Hughes
suggestion about a 12-mile limit for
the search of rum runners. but the
suggestion does not strike the
British as shocking international
morality.
For example, the Manchester
Guardian. the leading liberal paper
In England and. in it's devotion to
high principles and in general stand
ing excelled by no other British pa
per. and approached by few, says,
= II liking of the Hughes PROPOSAL
Limit Not Fixed.
1T seems, at any rate at the first
inspection, sensible adjustment.
The three-mile limit is by no means
the hard and fast boundary of a
nations projection into the sea that
it is often supposed to be. The
marine league fixed it, when it was
the limit of effective gunfire. That
limit would now be much extended
If the same test was applied. There
miles. But the American proposal,
if it takes shape in the form in
which it is now being canvassed in
the American press. would not even
declare a general 12-mile limit to
American waters. 1t would extend
the limit TO that length by special
treaty for the limited purpose Of
stopping rum running. In return,
the general immunity of ships car
rying liquor under seal in transit
would be restored.
"Divested of it's legal phraseology,
the deal would amount to this That
the British and other European gov
srnments concerned would give prac-
teal help to America in stopping
heir subjects from smuggling liquor
into that country-a disreputable
practice, which we would be only too
glad to have ended. For this linn
ited purpose, they would admit
p-pssrica's right Of search up to 12
miles"
Government Not Opposed.
The British government has no
greater moral objection TO the
Hughes proposal than has the
Manchester Guardian, but 1t Is
bound to take notice Of some very
burdensome aspects of expediency
and practicability.
Probably the greatest impediment
lies in the fact that Britain, within
the past two weeks, has composed an
alteration with Russia in which
Russia demanded the right to expel
British fishermen from a 12-mile
limit. In the end Russia backed
down, but part of the outcome Is an
understanding that Britain shall bring
about a general conference Of nations
10 consider this question of 3-mile
or 12-mile limit.
Embarrassed by Russia.
Not only does the recentness of this
Russian episode embarrass Britain in
facing the Hughes suggestion, but. II
Britain should assent to the Hughes
proposal, It would undoubtedly be-
come a precedent which would lead
to troublesome questions arising all
over the seven seas where there are
British interests.
Before the Hughes suggestion can
be finally answered, most of the ex-
pert marine lawyers will go over the
map of the world inch by inch to see
how the 12-nile limit would affect
narrow straights like Gibraltar and
narrow channels like that between
Britain and France, where the 12-mile
limit would halve the whole channel,
and many other situations equally
complex. One of the interesting
relevant facts is, that around the is
land of ceylon. Britain imposes the
right of search for "a miles in order
to prevent pearl smuggling.
Favor General Examination.
fnder all the circumstances, It is
easy to understand that Britain may
prefer a general examination of this
whole question by all the nations con-
cerned rather than an isolated con-
cession to a single nation.
Editorials from American papers,
which have been cabled over here.
have been practically all from papers
In eastern cties-~papers which are
strongly wet" and anti-administra-
ton. There have been no quotations
from papers In the dry west. Con-
sequently. this episode, as well as
other recent events. has given the
strength and permanency of prohibi.