134 



uled and wanted to go across the top of this peninsula in the open 

 ocean. 



They made two tries to make this passage. The ice was so heavy that 

 they had to turn back, and then we proposed to make the passage be- 

 tween these straits, which were between islands off the Siberian coast. 

 And this is where we ran into the difficulty. 



Mr. Rogers. What I wanted to know was, what was the farthest 

 point from land you could pass in the strait ? 



Admiral SivirrH. About 11 miles from the land, if you passed right 

 through the middle of it. 



Mr. Rogers. As I recall, Russian vessels pass within 11 miles of the 

 coast of Florida. Have you taken any like action to prevent their pass- 

 age off the straits of Florida ? 



Admiral Smith. No, sir ; we have not. 



Mr. Rogers. Why haven't we had a reciprocal action there? 



If they are going to stop us, I don't see why we couldn't stop them. 

 Isn't it within the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard to either permit 

 free passage or not ? 



Admiral Smith. I think our basic national philosophy here, Mr. 

 Rogers, is that the right of innocent passage will be permitted pro- 

 vided the vessels stay outside of our territorial waters. And, of course, 

 this is what we would like to see 



Mr. Rogers. They have even been within our territorial waters. We 

 have them in Florida. 



But the Russians won't let us have that reciprocity. Is that true? 



Admiral Smith. In this area, they made exceptions in that case. I 

 don't loiow under other conditions whether they would — — 



Mr. Rogers. Who made the decision that we wouldn't press it, then ? 

 Was this a Coast Guard decision — or State ? I suspect State. Was it ? 



Admiral Smith. State advised against continuation of passage. 



Mr. Rogers. I thought so. I think maybe we can do something to 

 see if State can't review this, particularly in regard to the fact that they 

 are allowing free passage right in territorial waters of the United 

 States by Russian boats. 



They have certainly been off Florida, and we have had great dis- 

 cussions on this. We have followed them through. But I think we have 

 become lax on even this. I think we ought to tighten this up. 



If we put pressure there, maybe they will reciprocate. 



I realize this isn't a basic Coast Guard decision — it was State. 

 But it is upsetting to me that State turns over and says : "No, we don't 

 do it." 



I hope you will press a little, put your own ships out, and take a 

 little unilateral action — and kick them out of our territorial waters. 



Mr. Reinecke. Would the gentleman yield ? 



Mr. Rogers. Yes. 



Mr. Reinecke. I would like to know what the Coast Guard's 

 definition is of the "territorial sea" as a result of the Geneva 

 conference. 



I have been reading the Commission report here, and it is so vague 

 to me that I frankly admit that I can't read it and really know — and 

 I wonder what you people feel — what is meant by the "territorial sea" 

 and, also, the "contiguous zone," these two concepts. 



Admiral Smith. Well, the "territorial sea" — and I am going to ask 

 Captain Jenkins to be sure I am on the right track here — we interpret 

 it still as a "3-mile limit." 



