/
No.130
BRITISH EMBASSY|
WASHINGTON, D.C.
April 3th, 1940.
Dlr,
Under instructions from Qls Majesty's
Principal Secretary of State for foreign Affairs
I have the honour to coianunicate to you the
enclosed text of a joint public declaration
which has been made by His Majesty's Government
in the United Kingdom and the French ; ovez'iunent,
regarding the territorial waters of Norway*
I have the honour to be.
with the highest consideration,
Sir,
Your moat obedient,
humble servant,
(30D) LOTHIAN
The Honourable
Cordell Hull,
Secretary of itate of the United ntatee,
V.a&hington, 1). C.
ACE1IMIAB
HIn recent weeks the German campaign
against the merchant shipping of all nations
has been Intensified and pursued with evou greater
brutality than before.   The number of neutral ships
destroyed by German action is now well over 150
and the number of neutral lives lost is nearly 1000.
Those'attacks have been carried out in almost every
case in defiance of the recognised rules of war,
frequently in circumstances of the greatest barbarity
and on many occasions without the slightest justifi-
cation for interference of any sort with the ship,
Germany has announced that she regards herself as
entitled to destroy any neutral ship en route to any
British port, including contraband control harbors,
and there have moreover been repeated cases of vessels
being destroyed on voyage between two neutral ports
when the vessel had nolntention of touching at a British
port at all.   It is obvious that the Gorman Government
are engaged In an indiscriminate campaign of destruction
throughout the waters ?.n which their unnotified mines
are laid or in which their submarines are in a position
to operate.
2. While in recent weeks the greatest losses
have fallen upon neutral shipping British and Allied
vessels have also suffered from the adoption of this
policy of destruction, a new development of which is
the bombing from the air of British and neutral trawlers
and fishing boats and the machine gunning of their
crews.   The innocent character of fishing boats has
hitherto/
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hitherto been universally recognised but this has not
prevented Germany from committing nearly 200 attacks
on fishing vessels aimed at sinking them and murdering
their crews*   -Ivan lightships, the object of which Is
to protect shipping of all nations and which are by
International usage treated as noncombatants, have
oeen with tiislr crews ruthlessly attacked by bombs.
3. It Is a fact deserving of constant emphasis
that these German attacks have been deliberately aimed
at the destruction of neutral Uvea and property and
It If aaundantly clear that the purpose behind them Is
pure terrorism.   The Allies on the other hand have never
destroyed nor Injured a single neutral ship, or taken
a single neutral life*   On the contrary they have not
only soved the lives of many Innocent victims of these
German outrages but they have also not failed to rescue
from drowning Gernan almen and suomarlne crews who
have been guilty of the Inhumanities in question*
4. The position Is therefore that Germany Is
flagrantly violating neutral rights in order to damage
the Allied countries while Insisting upon the strictest
observance of rules of neutrality wherever3uch observance
would provide some advantage to herself• International
law has always recognised the right of a belligerent,
when l*5s enemy has systematically resorted to lllogal
practices, to take action appropriate to the situation
created by the illegalities of the enemy*   Such action
even though not; lawful in ordinary circumstances becomes
and is generally recognised to become lawful in view
of the other belligerent 'a violation of l«w*    Tho A1Ued
Governments therefore hold themselves entitled to/take such
action as they may deem proper In the present circumstancesr
The/
5# The Allied Governments have observed that
a heavy proportion of the losses Inflicted upon
neutral countries, both of human life and In material,
has fallen upon the Norwegian mercantile marine.
Yet while the German Government repeatedly sink Norwegian
shipping and murder Norwegian seamen they continue to
' derrand from the Norwegian Government the fullest use
of ?iorwe^ian territorial waters for their own commerce,
and t'ie Norwegian Government have even felt obliged to
provide armed escort In these waters for uerman ships
while unable to take effective action against Gorman
brutality on the high seas of which tueir own vessels
have been the victims,
6, Whatever may be the actual policy which
the Norwegian Government by German threats and pressure
are compelled to follow, the Allied Governments can no
longer afford to acquiesce in the present state of
affairs by which Germany obtains resources vital to her
prosecution of the war and obtains from Norway facilities
which pla<re the Allies at a dangerous disadvantage.
They have therefore already given notice to the Norwegian
Government that they reserve the right to take such
measures as they may think necessary to hinder or prevent
Germany from obtaining in Norway resources or facilities
which for the purpose of the war would be to her advantage
or to the disadvantage of the Allies,   If the successful
prosecution of the war now requires them to take such
measures world opinion will not be slow to realise both
the necessity under which they are constrained to act and
the purpose of their action*   Their purpose In this war
is to establish principles which the smaller stutes of
Europe would themselves wish to see prevail and upon
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which the very existence of those states ultimately
depends.   The Allies, of course, will never follow
the German example of brutal violence and any action
they decide to take will always be car-led out In
accordance with the dictates of humanity.
7. His Majesty's Government in the United kingdom
and the French Government have accordingly resolved to
deny the continued use by the enemy of stretches of
territorial waters which are clearly of particular value
to him and they have therefore decided to prevent the
unhindered passage of vessels carrying contraband of
war through Norwegian territorial v/atera.   They accordingly
hereay give notice that the following areas of Norwegian
territorial waters have been rendered dangerous to
navigation on account of mines.   Vessels entering these
areas wllldo so at their peril.
ofcadtlandet, an area enclosed by the Norwegian
coast and lines Joining the following positions:
(1) 62 degrees 11 minutes 0(3 seconds \\9 5
degrees 06 minutes 12 seconds E
(2) 02 degreoa 09 minutes 24 seconds \\9 5
degrees 00 minutea 13 seconds E
(3) 02 degrees 12 minutes 18 seconds \\9 4
degrees 49 minutes 30 seconds E
(4) t>2 degrees 19 minutes 30 seconds   , 5
degrees 05 minutes 36 seconds E
(5) G2 degrees 12 minutes 00 seconds Nf 6
degrees 09 minutes 00 seconds
B ud, an area enclosed by the Norwegian coast
and lines Joining the following positions;

(2) 63 decrees 03 minutes 30 seconds N,
6 decrees 54 minutes 00 seconds E
(3) 63 degrees 07 minutes 12 seconds H,
7 degrees 04 minutes 30 seconds K
(4) 62 degrees 59 minutes 24 seconds N,
7 decrees u7 minutea 15 seconds 3
i.'est Fjord, an area enclosed by the Norwegian
coast and lines Joining the following points:
(1) 67 decrees 24 nlnutes 40 seconds ll#
14 degrees 34 minutes 00 sedonds H
(2) 67 degrees 27 minutes 30 seconds ll0
14 degrees 24 minutes 00 seconds K
(3) 67 degrees 28 minutes 56 seconds
14 degreea 06 minutes 45 seconds K
( (4) 67 degrees 33 nlnutes 55 seconds
15 degrees 51 minutea 30 seconds E
(5) 67 degrees 37 minutes B| seconds N,
14 degrees 02 minutes If seconds E
(6) 67 degrees 26 mlnut-.-s 20 seconds U9
14 degrees 38 minutes 30 seconds E
It will be observed that the laying of
mines In these areas will In no way Interfere with
the free access of Norwegian nationals or ships to
their own ports and coastal hamlets*   In order to avoid
the least possibility of Norwegian or other vessels
Inadvertently entering these areas be "ore there has been
time to give warning of the mines being laid arrangements
have been made for the limits of the areas to be
patrolled by British naval vosaels until a period of
forty-eight hours has elapsed from the laying of the
first mine in each area.   This measure, In conjunction with
the broadcast warning, should I'ully provide for the safety
of shipping.