811.7442 Amateur/24
The Secretary of State to the Canadian Minister (Massey)
Sir: I have the honor to refer to your note of October 2, 1928, in which you ask whether this Government is prepared to enter into an arrangement with His Majesty’s Government in Canada, in accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 6 of the General Regulations annexed to the International Radio Convention of November 25, 1927, which would permit Canadian private experimental stations in Canada to handle certain classes of radio messages with the United States and the Philippine Islands after January 1, 1929.
I take pleasure in informing you that the Government of the United States accepts the proposal contained in your note of October 2, last, with the understanding that it will be reciprocal and that the messages to be exchanged will be restricted to those coming within the following general headings:
- 1.
- “Messages that would not normally be sent by any existing means of electrical communication and on which no tolls must be charged.
- 2.
- “Messages from other radio stations in isolated points not connected by any regular means of electrical communication; such messages to be handed to the local office of the Telegraph Company by the amateur receiving station for transmission to final destination, e. g., messages from expeditions in remote points such as the Arctic, etc.”
- 3.
- “Messages handled by amateur stations in cases of emergency, e. g., floods, etc., where the regular electrical communication systems become interrupted; such messages to be handed to the nearest point on the established commercial telegraph system remaining in operation.”
This Government interprets the first stipulation above set forth to mean that tolls shall not be accepted by amateurs for messages handled by them and that they shall not compete with commercial radio stations or telegraph lines.
It is the desire of this Government that the arrangement shall apply to the United States and its territories and possessions, including Alaska, the Hawaiian Islands, Porto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Panama Canal Zone and the Philippine Islands.
This Government considers also that this arrangement should be subject to termination by either Government on sixty days’ notice to the other Government, by a further arrangement between the two Governments dealing with the same subject, or by the enactment of legislation in either country inconsistent therewith.
I shall be glad to have you inform me whether these additional provisions are acceptable to your Government. If so, the arrangement will be considered to be effective as of January 1, 1929.
Accept [etc.]