Evening star., 1953-05-10
'TideIunds'

Turing THE 1872 years from
~ 1776 to 1898 the coastal States
assumed in all innocence that they
owned the seas adjacent to them
and all the land under those seas.
The original 13 States and most
other States believed they owned a
three-mile strip of ocean. Texas
and Florida, which had different
historic backgrounds, claimed
three Spanish leagues-about 101a
miles.
Then one day in 1893 a Secretary
Of the Interior named Harold Ickes
changed his mind, and suddenly
the coastal States found that seri-
Gus doubt was being placed on
their claims.
Mr.. Ickes, as he later related the
story to congressional committees,
had always assumed along with
the States that they owned their
submerged lands. But persons
seeking leases to explore for un-
dersea oil suggested to him that
the Federal Government, not the
States, had title to that land. Mr..
Ickes said he thought 1t over.
Then, in 1888, he made his his
toric decision: The Federal Gov
eminent was the owner.
Trumon vs.. California
He presented the case to Presi-
dent Roosevelt, who did nothing.
In 1945 President Truman picked
up the claim and sued California
to establish Federal ownership of
the lands off the coast of that
State.
While the Supreme Court was
mulling over the case, a worried
Congress passed bill to quit
claim all Federal rights, If any,
to what had become known popu-
larly but enormously as the tide
lands" and to establish ownership
in the adjacent States. But
President Truman vetoed the bill.
In 1947 the Supreme Court
handed down its decision. The
State of California, the ruling said,
had no title to or property inter-
est in the tidelands. But the court
did not take the next step. It did
not say the Federal Government
held the title, only that it held
something called paramount
rights"
Similar cases involving Texas
. and Louisiana we're settled in the
same way in 1850. Congress, in
1852, passed another States
rights" bill. Mr.. Truman vetoed it.
Last week Congress almost COM
pleted another go-around. After
three months Of discussion and Is
days Of actual floor debate, the
Senate approved another States
rights bill. The House, which had
approved a similar measure this
year, was expected to get together
with the Senate on q compromise
soon. Senate vote was 56 to IS:
35 Republicans and 81 Democrats
voting Eyes" and Is Democrats, 9
Republicans and / independent
saying mo"
Voriotions on a Theme
The arguments used by both
sides were variations on a theme
heard monotonously on Capital
Hill ever since Mr.. Ickes announced
he had changed his mind. Con-
gresSmen favoring State owner
ship claimed the States had always
had title to the seas out to their
historic boundaries and that Con-
grOss should correct o mistake
made by the Supreme Court. Law
makers favoring Federal owner
ship said that the high court
decision should be binding and
that considerations Of interna-
tional law and Justice to "all the
people" would make State owner
ship undesirable. e..
The first phase-only a phase
of the dispute will come to an end
with House approval of the Senate
bill and its expected signature by
President Eisenhower. Then Phase
Two will open. Arkansas, Rhode
Island and West Virginia have an
nounced through their Governors
or Attorneys General that they
Continued On Page A-2s.)