Executive Order No. 2584

[Establishing defensive sea areas.]

THE WHITE HOUSE, April 5, 1917.

In accordance with the authority vested in me by section forty-four

of the act entitled "An Act to codify, revise, and amend the penal laws of the United States," approved March fourth, nineteen hundred and nine, as amended by the act "Making appropriations for the naval service for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eighteen, and for other purposes," approved March fourth, nineteen hun- dred and seventeen, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, do order that defensive sea areas are hereby estab- lished, to be maintained until further notification, at the places and within the limits prescribed as follows, that is to say:--

Mouth of Kennebec River: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with Pond Island Light

as center, radius two (2) nautical miles. Inner Limit-A line East and West (true) through Perkins Island Light.

Portland: Outer Limit-Arc of circle center Portland Head Light, radius two

(2) nautical miles.
Inner Limit-Line Portland Breakwater Light to west bastion Fort Gorges.

Portsmouth: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with Whaleback Reef Light as center,

radius two and one-half (2 1/2) nautical miles. Inner Limit-A line South (true) from southwest point of Clarks Island.

Boston: Outer Limit-Line from Strawberry Point to Spouting Horn.

Inner Limit-Line west tangent Sheep Island to wharf on east side of Long Island.
Line from wharf west side Long Island to large wharf west side of Deer Island.

New Bedford: Outer Limit-Arc of circle, center the east point of reef off Clark

Point, radius distance to Dumping Rocks Lighthouse. Inner Limit-Line between Butler Flats Light and Egg Island Beacon.

Newport:

Outer Limit-Arc of circle with Beaver Tail Light as center and radius of two (2) nautical miles.

Inner Limit-Fort Adams fog bell to north tangent of North Dumpling. East and West line through Plum Beach Light.

Long Island East: Outer Limit-Line joining Watch Hill and Montauk Point

Lights.
Inner Limit-Line joining Plum Island Light and Mumford Point.

New York East: Outer Limit-Line joining Execution Rocks Light and east tan-

gent of Huckleberry Island. Inner Limit-A line north (true) through Whitestone Point Light.

New York Main Entrance: Outer Limit-Arc of circle center Romer Shoal Light,

radius six (6) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Line west (true) from flagpole on wharf at Fort Hamilton.

Delaware River: Outer Limit-East and west line through north end of Reedy

Island.
Inner Limit-East and west line through Finn's Neck Rear Range Light.

Chesapeake Entrance: Outer Limit-Line parallel to that joining Cape Henry

Light and Cape Charles Light and four (4) nautical miles to eastward thereof, and the lines from Cape Charles Light and from Cape Henry Light perpendicular to this line. Inner Limit-Line parallel to line joining Cape Henry Light and Cape Charles Light and three (3) nautical miles to westward thereof.

Baltimore: Outer Limit-Line from Persimmon Point to Love Point.

Inner Limit-Line joining Leading Point Range Light (Rear) and Sollers Point.

Potomac: Outer Limit-Line from Marshall Hall wharf to south extremity of

Ferry Point.
Inner Limit-Line from River View wharf drawn West (true).

Hampton Roads: Outer Limit-Line from Back River Light to point one (1)

nautical mile East (true) of Thimble Shoal Light; then South (true) to shore.
Inner Limit-Line tangent to end of wharf on west side of Old Point Comfort and Fort Wool.

Wilmington-Cape

Fear: Outer Limit-Oak Island Life Saving Station as cen- ter of arc, radius five (5) nautical miles.

Inner Limit-Line joining south end of Fort Caswell and Smith Island Range Beacon (Rear).

Charleston: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with Fort Sumter Light as center, radius

six (6) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Line joining Charleston Light and Fort Sumter Light.

Savannah: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with Tybee Island Light as center, radius

ten (10) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Line across channel through southeast end of Cockspur Island.

Key West: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with Key West Light as center, radius

seven (7) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Line joining south tangent East Crawfish Key, and south tangent of Fort Taylor.

Tampa: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with Egmont Key Light as center, radius

six (6) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Line tangent to southwest point of Mullet Key and east tangent of Passage Key.

Pensacola: Outer Limit-Arc of circle center Cut (Front) Range Light, radius

six (6) nautical miles. Inner Limit-South (true) from east corner of dock at Navy Yard old dry- dock slip.

Mobile: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with Fort Morgan Light as center, radius

six (6) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Fort Gaines to Fort Morgan.

Mississippi: Outer Limit-Lucas Canal.

Inner Limit-Bolivar Point.

Galveston: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with Fort Point Light as center radius

five (5) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Line joining Boliver Point and Fort Point Lights.

San Diego: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with Point Loma Light as center, radius

two (2) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Line joining Beacons Nos. 3 and 4.

San Francisco: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with center at middle point of line

joining Point Bonita Light and Rock at Cliff House, radius four (4) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Line from Bluff Point to Point Campbell on Angel Island and line from Quarry Point on Angel Island to extreme western point on Goat Island; also line from extreme western point On Goat Island to North Point San Francisco.

Columbia River: Outer Limit-Arc of circle with center three (3) nautical miles

south (true) from North Head Light, radius three (3) nau- tical miles.
Inner Limit-Line from wharf at Flavel Tansy Point at right angles to axis of channel.

Port Orchard: Outer Limit-Arc of circle, center Orchard Rock Spindle, radius

two (2) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Line from Point White at right angles to axis of channel to opposite bank.

Honolulu: Outer Limit-Arcs of circles centers Diamond Head Light and Hono-

lulu Harbor Light, radii nine (9) nautical miles. Inner Limit-Line across channel at No. 7 fixed light

Manila: Outer Limit-Line through Luzon Point and Fuego Point

Inner Limit-Line through San Nicolas Shoal Light and Mt. Sungay.

The responsibility of the United States of America for any damage

inflicted by force of arms with the object of detaining any person or vessel proceeding in contravention to Regulations duly promulgated in accordance with this Executive order shall cease from this date.

WOODROW WILSON.

[Regulations for carrying into effect the executive order of the President establishing defensive sea areas.]

THE WHITE HOUSE, April 5, 1917.

Whereas, in accordance with section forty-four of the Act entitled

"An Act to codify, revise and amend the penal laws of the United States," approved March fourth, nineteen hundred and nine, as amended by "An Act making appropriations for the Naval Service, for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and eighteen, and for other purposes," approved March fourth, nineteen hundred and seventeen, Defensive Sea Areas have been established by my order of April 5 1917.

Now, therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States

of America, do hereby authorize and promulgate the following orders and regulations for the government of persons and vessels within the limits of Defensive Sea Areas; which orders and regulations are neces- sary for purposes of national defense.

1. In the neighborhood of each Defensive Sea Area, entrances have

been designated for incoming and outgoing vessels, including, in the case of Areas across which more than one channel exists, an entrance for each channel. These entrances are described in Article X of these Regulations in conjunction with the Areas to which they respectively pertain.

2. A vessel desiring to cross a Defensive Sea Area shall proceed to

the vicinity of the entrance to the proper channel, flying her national colors, together with International Code number and pilot signal, and there await communication with the Harbor Entrance Patrol. It is expressly prohibited for any vessel to enter the limits of a Defensive Sea Area otherwise than at a designated entrance and after authoriza- tion by the Harbor Entrance Patrol.

3. Boats and other craft employed in the Harbor Entrance Patrol

will be distinguished by the union jack, which will be shown from a position forward; they will also fly the usual naval pennant. At night, they may show a vertical hoist of three lights-white, red, and white, in the order named.

4. On receiving permission from the Harbor Entrance Patrol to

enter a Defensive Sea Area, a vessel must comply with all instructions as to pilotage and other matters that she may receive from proper authority, either before or during her passage across the Area; it is understood that only upon condition of such compliance is the said permission granted.

5. No permission will be granted to other than a public vessel of the

United States to cross a Defensive Sea Area between sunset and sunrise, nor during the prevalence of weather conditions that render navigation difficult or dangerous. A vessel arriving off a Defensive Sea Area after sunset shall anchor or lie-to at a distance of at least a mile outside its limits until the following sunrise; vessels discovered near the limits of the Areas at night may be fired upon.

6. No vessel shall be permitted to proceed within the limits of a

Defensive Sea Area at a greater speed than five (5) knots per hour.

7. All matters pertaining to fishery and the passage of small crafts

within a Defensive Sea Area shall be regulated by the Senior Officer of the Harbor Entrance Patrol.

8. These Regulations are subject to modification by the Senior

Officer of the Harbor Entrance Patrol when the public interest may require; and such notification as circumstances may permit will be issued regarding modifications thus made.

9. Any master of a vessel or other person within the vicinity of a

Defensive Sea Area who shall violate these Regulations, or shall fail to obey an order to stop or heave to, or shall perform any act threatening the efficiency of mine or other defenses or the safety of navigation, or shall take any action inimical to the interests of the United States in its prosecution of war, may be detained therein by force of arms and renders himself liable to prosecution as provided for in the Act to codify, revise and amend the penal laws of the United States, approved March 4, 1909, as amended by "the Act making appropriations for the Naval Service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, and for other. purposes," approved March 4, 1917.

10. The designated entrances to Defensive Sea Areas referred to in

Article I of these Regulations shall be as follows:

Potomac River. In channel off Dagne Creek. In channel off River View.

Cape Fear, N. C. At a point four (4) nautical In channel near Beacon No

miles Southsouthwest (true) 2A, off Battery Island. from Bell Buoy at entrance channel.

Tybee Roads, Sa- Four (4) nautical miles east of Quarantine anchorage.
vannah, Ga. Whistling Buoy.

Tampa, Florida. Whistling Buoy, at entrance to Off Quarantine Station.

dredged channel.

Mississippi River South Pass Gas and Whistling Buras Church.

Buoy.

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu harbor light bearing In harbor north of Honolulu

North - North - East (true) harbor lighthouse. distant ten (10) nautical miles.

The Secretary of the Navy will be charged with the publication and

enforcement of these Regulations.

WOODROW WILSON.

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