811.34544/707

The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Halifax)

My Dear Mr. Ambassador: I have received the Embassy’s memorandum of February 26, 1941 on the conversations now proceeding in [Page 72] London concerning the bases in the outlying territories and islands. I have gone into this matter with great care and I have had drawn up a memorandum of the present position of this Government on the questions you have raised. I have also indicated the tenor of the instructions with respect to these questions which have already been sent to the American delegates in London.

I cannot help but feel that the position this Government has taken with regard to the questions raised in your memorandum will be found entirely acceptable by your Government, and I would urge again, as I have before, that all possible steps be taken to expedite the termination of these negotiations, particularly in view of the current discussions in Congress concerning these bases and the possibility of misunderstandings and questions arising which would be entirely avoided by the prompt settlement and conclusion of the terms of the leases and the agreements under which the bases will be operated.

I am enclosing the memorandum referred to.

Very sincerely yours,

Cordell Hull
[Enclosure]

The Department of State to the British Embassy

Memorandum

In its memorandum of February 26,86 the British Embassy raises the following questions with respect to the negotiations concerning the lease of naval and air bases:

(1) That the United States is demanding jurisdiction over all persons, including British subjects, as regards security offenses committed within the territories concerned, and as regards all offenses committed within the leased areas. It is stated that the exercise by our authorities of jurisdiction over all persons, whether American or not, in respect of offenses committed within the leased areas, would not seem to be essential to the proper defense of the bases.

In a telegram dispatched to London on February 26,87 the American negotiators were authorized to say that the Government of the United States would not exercise jurisdiction over British subjects, except as regards offenses committed within the leased area affecting the safety of the area or the security of the United States, that is to say, offenses of a military character, including treason, sabotage, espionage, or any other offense relating to the security and protection of the United States bases, equipment, or other property, or to the operations of the Government of the United States under the power [Page 73] of the lease. This jurisdiction was further limited to offenses committed within the leased areas where the offender is apprehended therein.

It is believed that this undertaking fully meets the views set out in the British memorandum.

(2) The memorandum also raises the question regarding harbor and light dues to be paid by American vessels using the bases. It is contended that American public vessels should not have greater exemption than is now granted to similar ships of the Royal Navy.

As to this, it must be borne in mind (1) that British public vessels of the types corresponding to United States public vessels which it is proposed to charge harbor dues, probably use ports in most of these outlying possessions only on infrequent occasions, and (2) that from the point of view of the British Government, it is largely a matter of taking money out of one pocket and putting it in the other. Consequently, the payment of harbor and light dues would be a matter of little consequence to the British, whereas American public vessels would be using the bases constantly, not only in carrying supplies, but in entering and departing for purposes of maneuver, et cetera. To require these ships to pay dues on an equal footing with ships of the Royal Navy would mean that American public vessels might be paying large sums of money into the local treasury for the use of a leased base which under the agreement they would have a perfect right to use without charge. Moreover, it has been pointed out to the British that the United States will construct and maintain lights, buoys, and other aids to navigation, and that all these facilities will be available to British ships—public and private—without charge.

It is not clear from the British contentions whether some reasonable contribution by American public ships to the upkeep of local aids to navigation is contemplated or whether this is a matter of raising new revenue.

There will be no increased cost in the upkeep of existing navigation facilities due to the use of local waters by American public vessels. If new revenue is the point at issue, it is easy to understand how the expenses involved in the use of these bases would amount to considerable sums annually and to huge sums over a period of 99 years.

No exemption of vessels other than those of the United States Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Coast and Geodetic Survey is requested. As a matter of fact, there would be an increase of revenue of this type in each territory in which a base is located by reason of the fact that additional American vessels and perhaps foreign vessels will go to those territories with supplies and materials for use in the construction and operation of the bases. This additional revenue [Page 74] will undoubtedly be considerable and is an additional argument against the taxation of these four categories of public vessels. Moreover, the amounts spent by the United States in supplying increased aids to navigation and harbor improvements will be considerable. These are points which seem to have been overlooked by the British Government.

Furthermore, the British Government seems to have overlooked the statement in the exchange of notes between the Secretary of State and Lord Lothian87a wherein it is stated that:

“His Majesty’s Government will make available to the United States for immediate establishment and use naval and air bases and facilities for entrance thereto and the operation and protection thereof”

and that

“All the bases and facilities referred to …88 will be … free from all rent and charges other than such compensation to be mutually agreed on to be paid by the United States in order to compensate the owners of private property for loss by expropriation or damage arising out of the establishment of the bases and facilities in question.”

No one ever thought of charges on United States Government vessels for the privilege of entering and departing from these bases. The idea of payment of such charges is entirely negatived by the statement that the bases shall be “free from all rent and charges other than compensation to private property owners”. Obviously, if there is a requirement for payment every time a ship enters or departs from one of these bases, the use of the bases is not free from charges.

(3) The British memorandum also states that the United States negotiators have made no proposals to meet the British request in regard to the United States coastwise shipping laws and facilities for British ships in the leased areas.

The American representatives in London have told the British negotiators that the United States coastwise laws would not extend to these bases but that under existing law all materials for the use of the army and navy, except under certain conditions, must be carried in American vessels. These excepted conditions are, among other things, lack or non-availability of American vessels, excessive costs, et cetera, under which conditions provisions of the law may be waived by the President.

Concerning the use of the base facilities by British ships, the American representatives in London have stated that such facilities will be available to British commercial vessels on the same terms and conditions upon which they are available to United States commercial vessels.

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(4) It is also stated in the memorandum that the broad argument that it is wished to urge, is one in favor of the instructions to the United States delegates being such as to enable them to treat the matters under discussion on a wide basis from the defense aspect and to take fully into account interests of the territories and their inhabitants.

Throughout the course of the negotiations in London the attitude and spirit of the Government of the United States toward the discussion of the terms of the leases and the agreements under which the bases will be operated have been entirely within the framework of the broad purposes of the Governments of the United States and Great Britain, as expressed in the basic exchange of notes. Every consideration has been given at all times to meet in as far as possible the desires of the local territories, but it must be said that many of the points which have caused delay in the discussions have referred to matters in which apparently it has been the desire of the local authorities to have provisions inserted which would circumscribe the rights considered by the United States Government as necessary and in accordance with the principles laid down in the exchange of notes of September 2, 1940.

The Naval Affairs Committees of the two Houses of Congress, and individual members of the Senate and of the House of Representatives, have already raised the question as to whether the United States will be required to pay any kind of charges in connection with the use of these bases and have been told that the Government of the United States does not anticipate being subjected to any kind of charges. It would be unfortunate if the British Government, by a continuation of the discussion of such matters as customs, harbor, and light dues, should cause these Committees to gain an unfavorable impression at a time when the American Government is doing its utmost in an effort to be of assistance in the world situation.

Washington, March 1, 1941.

  1. Ante, p. 69.
  2. Not printed.
  3. September 2, 1940, Foreign Relations, 1940, vol. iii, pp. 73 and 74.
  4. Omissions indicated in the original memorandum.