860P.855/8
The Minister in Latvia (Coleman) to
the Secretary of State
Riga, December 12,
1927.
[Received December 28.]
No. 4934
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the
Department’s Instruction No. 459, of August 29, 1927 (File No.
860P.855/4), to the Legation’s telegram, No. 64, of November 5, 1927,
and to the Department’s telegram No. 33, of November 15, 1927,1 regarding the acceptance
of the admeasurements of vessels of Latvia and the United States by the
officials of the other country, and to enclose copies of the notes
exchanged on this subject between the Legation and the Latvian Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure 1]
The American Minister (Coleman) to the Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Cielens)
Riga, September 30,
1927.
Excellency: Referring to Your Excellency’s
note No. 13781, of June 28, 1927,2 enclosing copies of an English translation
of the rules and regulations based on the Latvian admeasurement
laws, I now have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the rules
set forth in the translation have been compared with those of the
United States and the two have been found to be substantially in
accord. My Government therefore is prepared to issue the necessary
instructions for the recognition of the tonnages set forth in the
registers or other national papers of Latvian vessels as measured
under the aforesaid rules as the [Page 134] tonnage of the vessels, so that it will not be
necessary for such vessels to be remeasured at any port in the
United States.
The issuance of such instructions is conditioned upon a similar
recognition being accorded by the Latvian Government to the
certificates of registry or other national papers of American ships.
Upon receipt of a note from Your Excellency stating that the Latvian
Government has issued the necessary instructions for the recognition
of the certificates of registry or other national papers of vessels
of the United States, together with the date upon which such
instructions become effective, my Government will issue appropriate
instructions for the recognition of papers of Latvian vessels.
I avail myself [etc.]
[File copy not signed]
[Enclosure 2]
The Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Cielens) to the American
Minister (Coleman)
Riga, 3 November,
1927.
No. R.603/24/23873
Excellency: Referring to Your Excellency’s
note of September 30, 1927, stating that the existing laws and
regulations in the territories of the United States in regard to
measurement of tonnage of merchant vessels are in substantial
agreement with these of Latvia, I now have the honor to inform Your
Excellency that my Government is issuing the necessary instructions
for the recognition of the tonnages set forth in the registers or
other national papers of American vessels as the tonnage of the
vessels, so that it will not be necessary for such vessels to be
remeasured at any port in Latvia. The instructions become effective
as of November 15, 1927.
The above instructions are issued on condition that similar terms
shall be accorded to Latvian ships equipped with certificates of
registry or other national papers duly issued by the competent
Latvian authorities on or after the 4th June, 1925, and that such
ships shall be exempted from being remeasured at any port in the
United States.
I avail myself [etc.]
[Enclosure 3]
The American Minister (Coleman) to the Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Cielens)
Excellency: With reference to Your
Excellency’s Note of November 3, 1927, stating that the Latvian
Government has issued instructions providing for the recognition of
the tonnages set forth in the [Page 135] registers or other national papers of American
vessels, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that I have been
advised by my Government that on November 9, 1927, the appropriate
American officials were instructed to accept in ports of the United
States the admeasurement of Latvian vessels which carry certificates
of registry or other national papers duly certified on or after June
4, 1925, by competent Latvian authorities, as denoting the tonnage
of such vessels.
I avail myself [etc.]
[File copy not signed]
