585.61B1/48
The Acting Secretary of State to the American Delegation73
Sirs: An International Conference on Load Lines will be held in London beginning May 20, 1930. You have been appointed as delegates on the part of the United States of America and certificates designating you in that capacity, have already been delivered to you.
There is enclosed the President’s instrument conferring upon you, jointly and severally, plenary powers to negotiate, conclude and sign a Convention on Load Lines.74 This instrument should be deposited with the Secretariat of the Conference, or the Committee on Credentials, whichever may be the procedure adopted.
The formal invitation to the Government of the United States to send representatives to the Conference was contained in a note dated February 7, 1930, to the Acting Secretary of State from the British Ambassador, in which it was stated that the Conference would convene at London on May 20 next. A copy of this invitation is enclosed.75
There is also enclosed a copy of the Report of the United States Load Line Committee, 1928, for Merchant Vessels Engaged in Foreign Voyages by Sea (Great Lakes excepted).76 This report is the result of the work during the past two years of a committee of nine technical advisers and representatives of the shipping interests of the country and contains concrete proposals which the Department of Commerce believes have the approval of all the American interests concerned. At the specific request of the Secretary of Commerce, you are instructed that this report with its enclosures is to form the basis of the American proposals at the Conference.
For your further guidance, there are quoted the following paragraphs from a memorandum submitted by the Secretary of Commerce to the Secretary of State:
“The fixing of load lines on merchant vessels in the foreign trade is essentially international in its character and uniformity in the rules governing the placing of such load lines is essential to the proper administration of the law by the several nations involved.
“It is important that United States practices, particularly those pertaining to tankers and to lumber-carrying vessels, be properly presented to the Conference as otherwise, the regulations adopted to which our vessels would be subject while in foreign ports, might seriously handicap American vessels and trade, and the initiative and [Page 259] ability of our shipbuilders and ship operators would be adversely affected in such trade.
“To obtain acceptance of the American proposals will require determined effort and absolute unanimity on the part of the American delegation. It is imperative that the American delegation present a united front if the desired results are to be obtained. The individuals composing the delegation must be guided and abide by the decisions of the delegation as a whole, and individual opinions in opposition to the delegation’s decisions must be restrained if the influence of the American delegation is not to suffer seriously. To assure that the American proposals are couched in well-chosen words which give exactly the intent desired, it would appear that, except in informal committee discussion, they should be prepared in advance. Important questions of policy and general principle should be determined by vote of the delegation. These should follow as far as possible the recommendations agreed to in the preparatory work.
“It should be borne in mind at all times that the delegation has a three-fold responsibility; first, to uphold the prestige and dignity of the United States; second, to obtain the highest practicable standard of safety at sea for American citizens traveling in ships flying its flag and those of other nations; and third, to obtain an agreement to facilitate trade between the United States and foreign countries, bearing in mind at all times that no load line shall be established or marked on any vessel which load line is above the actual line of safety.”
It would seem to be desirable that English as well as French should be the official language of the International Conference on Load Lines, not only as a compliment to the British Government, in whose territory the Conference is to be held, but also because of the richness of the English language in commercial and nautical terminology. For the same reasons it is believed that any Convention or other instrument signed at the Conference should be signed in English as well as in French. As, however, the Conference will be held at London, it would seem to be more appropriate for the British delegates to make proposals in regard to this matter. You may confer with them informally concerning it, and should they propose to the Conference the adoption of English as an official language of the Conference, you will give the proposal your support. This will conform to the procedure recently adopted at the Conference on the Safety of Life at Sea.
You will be assisted in your work at the Conference by the following technical advisers:
- Mr. G. A. Smith
- Mr. David W. Dicky
You are instructed to inform the American Embassy at London of your arrival and to maintain contact with the Embassy during the progress of negotiations. A copy of your instructions is being [Page 260] forwarded to the Embassy, which is being requested to afford the delegation appropriate assistance. It is particularly desired that should questions of a political, rather than a technical, nature arise you will consult the Embassy and be guided by its suggestions in this connection.
I am [etc.]