Three Mile Limit

At a meeting of the American Society of International Law (which convened in Washington) the proposed extension of the three-mile limit came under discussion.

In view of the fact that that limit is by no means definitely established in international law, a suggestion that it be extended is bound to be met with approval by some lawyers, as well as by those who are primarily concerned with law enforcement. The limit was first fixed at a league (of three miles) in the days of sailing ships, when that was considered a sufficient margin of safety to allow for the apprehension of smugglers. There is, therefore, much to be said in favor of its extension, even though the mile of " hot pursuit" allows a revenue cutter to go more than a league from shore to apprehend a bootlegger caught openhanded. But the State Department has apparently taken the sound position that it is not for the United States, alone and of its own initiation, to effect a change in international law, whatever changes there may have been in the conditions that were responsible for such law. Fred K. Nielsen, former Solicitor for the State Department, is authority for the statement that such a change will not be made without an appropriate agreement with other nations.