196.6/1075
The Danish Minister (Brun) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Castle)
No. 82
My Dear Mr. Secretary: The Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs has directed me to call the attention of your Department informally to the provisions of Senator La Follette’s bill S–2945, relating to the payment of advance wages and allotments in respect of seamen on foreign vessels, and making further provision for carrying out the purpose of the Seamen’s Act, approved March 4, 1915. You are no doubt well acquainted with this bill and with the provision therein proposed which says: “(e) This section shall apply to payments of advance wages and allotments, in respect of seamen on foreign vessels, whether made within or without the United States or territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof, etc.”
In this respect I beg leave to state, that pursuant to the Danish Seamen’s Act of May 1, 1923, Paragraphs 25 and 20 the acts of giving or receiving advance wages and allotments are legal, and that in the opinion of the Danish Government the extension of jurisdiction contemplated in the bill under discussion would conflict not only with Danish law, but also with the generally accepted principles of International law and practice on this subject, to wit: the status and rights of merchant ships in foreign ports, and with the adjustment of an International navigation policy in a practicable and desirable way.
The bill was as you know passed by the Senate on April 24th last, but was not reported from the Committee of the House before the session was closed on May 29th. I presume, however, that it is to be expected that the bill will be reported or come up for discussion in the coming session of Congress next December and, with this eventuality in view, I would be greatly obliged to you, if you could see your way to advise the proper Committees of the considerations set forth above and of the difficulties that we anticipate if the bill should become law.
Believe me [etc.]