xiv PREFACE 



within territorial waters and the activities of 

 aircraft high above or only just over the surface 

 of the sea and nearer land than three miles, 

 put a fresh complexion upon the operation of 

 the principle of the three-mile limit, on the 

 definition of the words " territorial waters," 

 and on questions depending upon that defini- 

 tion, such as the herring fishery. 



May I express a hope that a perusal of this 

 book will stimulate examination of Germany's 

 continuous wail about the freedom of the 

 seas ? It is a fraudulent grievance, but none 

 the less it should be tested and then nailed to 

 the counter as spurious. We do not pay 

 enough heed to what may be roughly described 

 as British Navigation policy ; the action of the 

 British Government in trying to force the 

 Declaration of London (1909), on the country 

 just before the war is proof positive of this. 

 The Foreign Office had forgotten that Britain 

 is an island, and the average man cared or 

 knew so little about our dependence upon sea 

 power and communications that, but for the 

 stand made by certain far-seeing public- spirited 

 men and Chambers of Commerce, we should 

 ourselves have done ourselves untold mischief. 

 Germany sees plainly enough that loss of her 

 overseas trade means her ruin. She groans 

 about after-war facilities in our ports and 

 coaling stations, detecting the dangers of her 

 position in the markets overseas, while we 

 have scarcely recognised how full of advan- 



