THE INADEQUACY OF THE THREE-MILE LIMIT 733 



contend before an international tribunal for a doctrine precisely 

 the reverse of that which we have always upheld on previous 

 occasions ? It followed from this that " if there was to be a 

 modification of the rules relating to trawling in the North Sea, 

 it must be by agreement with foreign Powers " that was really 

 the practical point upon which the matter turned. But in an 

 important question affecting the interests of the country at 

 large, it was impossible for the Foreign Office to approach 

 other Powers with the view of reaching an agreement until it 

 was quite clear that it was in the interest of a policy which had 

 been adopted, affirmed, and declared by the Government to be 

 a policy which was in the general national interest of the 

 United Kingdom. Judging from the very great force with 

 which the case in such regions as the Moray Firth had been 

 presented, and the strong feeling that existed and which was 

 not confined to the Moray Firth, it had always seemed to him 

 that there was a case for grave consideration as to whether 

 any new regulations were required for the preservation of the 

 fishing industry in the North Sea at large. Trawling was 

 a perfectly legitimate industry in which large capital was 

 invested, and if further restrictions were to be imposed on it, it 

 must be because a really important national interest required 

 it ; it would not be right to adopt in the interests of particular 

 localities any special restrictions which might result in dimin- 

 ishing the supply and raising the price of fish. But, having 

 laid down these two principles, Sir Edward Grey thought it 

 was equally true that if the supply of fish from the North Sea 

 is being affected by want of further regulations, then the 

 interests of any particular industry must be subordinated to the 

 general interest, which in the long-run was also the interest of 

 the industry itself. " If it be the case," he proceeded, " that in 

 areas like the Moray Firth, which are important breeding- 

 grounds, the supply of fish is being seriously interfered with by 

 the prosecution of trawling in narrow waters, then it becomes 

 a matter of national interest that we should, as soon as possible, 

 come to some agreement with foreign Powers under which we 

 should be able to make the arrangements which prove to be 

 necessary in the national interest at large." The subject was 

 one requiring the deliberate investigation of the Government, 

 and the investigation was proceeding ; and they should know in 

 the course of a reasonable time whether or not the Government 



