Office of the Historian

Executive Agreement Series No. 42

856.8561/4

The Acting Secretary of State to the Netherlands Chargé (Van Hoorn)

Washington, August 26, 1931.

Sir: Further reference is made to the Legation’s note No. 113, dated January 20, 1931,1 enclosing copies of the Netherland Shipping Act and Royal Decree and Order in Council relating to load lines for the consideration of this Government in relation to its proposal to the Netherland Government to conclude a reciprocal load line agreement with this Government pending the coming into force of the International Load Line Convention.2

Note has been made of the Legation’s statement that the laws, rules and regulations pertaining to load lines for vessels now enforced by the Netherland Government are identical with those enforced by the Government of Great Britain, with the sole exception of the rules and regulations pertaining to the carriage of deck cargoes of wood goods.

The competent authorities of this Government consider that the 1906 rules of the British Board of Trade, concerning load lines, are as effective as the United States Load Line Regulations for the determination of load lines on ordinary merchant vessels. The rules of the Netherland Government for determining the load lines of vessels with wood cargoes have been examined by these authorities and have likewise been found to be as effective as the rules contained in the United States Load Line Regulations applicable to vessels carrying wood cargo on deck.

Pending the coming into effect of the International Load Line Convention in the United States and the Netherlands, the competent authorities of the Government of the United States are prepared to recognize the load line marks and the certificate of such marking of merchant vessels of the competent authorities of the Netherland Government [Page 488] as equivalent to their own load line marks and certificates of marking: provided, that the load line marks are in accordance with the load line certificates; that the hull and superstructures of the vessel certificated have not been so materially altered since the issuance of the certificate, as to affect calculations on which the load line was based, and that alterations have not been made so that the—

(1)
Protection of openings,
(2)
Guard rails,
(3)
Freeing Ports,
(4)
Means of Access to Crews Quarters,

have made the vessel manifestly unfit to proceed to sea without danger to human life.

It will be understood that on the receipt of a note from you to the effect that the competent authorities of the Netherland Government will give full recognition to the load line marks made and the certificates issued by the competent authorities of this Government and expressing the Netherland Government’s concurrence in the foregoing understanding, the reciprocal agreement will become effective.

Accept [etc.]

W. R. Castle, Jr.
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Signed at London July 5, 1930, Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. i, p. 261.↩