Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1932, The British Commonwealth, Europe, Near East and Africa, Volume II

811b.628/19

The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador (Lindsay)

Washington, November 22, 1932.

Excellency; I have the honor to refer to your note No. 61, dated March 4, 1931, and to subsequent correspondence relative to the preservation of the hawksbill turtle fisheries in the waters adjacent to British North Borneo and the Philippine Islands, and to transmit herewith material, as listed below, indicative of the present position of the Government of the Philippine Islands:

1. Copy of transmitting letter, dated November 15, 1932, from the Secretary of War;⁷⁰

2. Copy of letter, dated October 4, 1932, from the Secretary of the Philippine Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources;

3. Explanatory note to and text of Bill No. 1694, Ninth Philippine Legislature, Second Session.⁷¹

It will be noted that Article VIII of the draft bill constitutes the amendments referred to in Mr. Alunan’s letter of October 4, 1932, which are designed to create authority for his Department to issue rules and regulations for the protection of hawksbill turtle fisheries.

Accept [etc.]

For the Secretary of State:

W. R. Castle, Jr.

[Enclosure]

The Secretary of the Philippine Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Alunan) to the Governor General of the Philippine Islands (Roosevelt)

Manila, October 4, 1932.

Sir: Referring to the request of the British Embassy at Washington, D. C, coursed thru the United States Departments of State and War, that the Government of the Philippine Islands cooperate with the Government of British North Borneo to preserve the hawksbill turtle fisheries, the papers regarding which request were forwarded to this Department by your second indorsements dated October 19, 1931, and August 25, 1932, I have the honor to state that this Office can not at present give the desired cooperation effectively, in view of a recent opinion of the Attorney-General to the effect that there is no law authorizing this Department to issue rules and regulations for the protection of hawksbill turtles. In view of this situation, this Department has prepared suitable provisions regarding the hawksbill turtle fisheries to be inserted as amendments to House Bill No. 1694 entitled “An Act to amend and compile the laws relating to fish and other aquatic resources of the Philippine Islands, and for other purposes”, now pending action in the Legislature. As soon as the said bill is enacted into law, this Department intends to issue the necessary rules and regulations for the purpose of an effective protection of the hawksbill turtle fisheries, in cooperation with the government authorities of British North Borneo.

A copy of House Bill No. 1694 embodying the amendments suggested by this Office is herewith enclosed.⁷²

Very respectfully,

Raf. R. Alunan

70. Not printed.
71. Neither document found in Department files.
72. Not found in Department files. Act No. 4003 of the Philippine Legislature entitled “An Act to amend and compile the laws relating to fish and other aquatic resources of the Philippine Islands, and for other purposes” was approved December 5, 1932. (811b.628/26)