811.114 Belgium/138
The Ambassador in Belgium (Morris) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 3.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s instruction No. 159 of December 31, 1934,40 requesting information for the Treasury Department as to whether it is possible under Belgian laws for vessels to clear from Belgian ports with cargoes of alcohol or liquor and to discharge such cargoes into other vessels on the high seas.
[Page 415]In this connection, I am in receipt of a note from the Belgian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, dated April 10, 1935, stating that so far as known to the Marine Administration, there exists no Belgian law or regulation prohibiting the transfer of cargoes on the high seas which have been loaded on board in a Belgian port.
However, the Ministry adds that since the general subject of alcohol and liquor is within the special province of the Ministry of Finance, this Ministry has been consulted.
The Embassy will advise the Department further as soon as additional information is received in the premises.41
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩
- By despatch No. 462, May 16, The Chargé in Belgium reported that on May 10 the Belgian Ministry informed the American Embassy that, according to a communication from the Ministry of Finance, Belgian legislation did not prohibit vessels clearing from ports of the Kingdom with cargoes of liquor or alcohol from discharging such cargoes into other vessels on the high seas (811.114 Belgium/139).↩