711.4727/56
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Sydney (Moffat)
Sir: I refer to your despatch No. 196 of May 11, 1936,38 informing me that the Australian Government, although not entirely satisfied with this Government’s counter-suggestions set forth in the Department’s telegram of March 30, 1936, 2 p.m., is prepared to enter into an arrangement providing for the acceptance of American airworthiness certificates which is based upon those counter-suggestions.
With reference to Captain Johnston’s request that some form of a certificate be issued by the Bureau of Air Commerce in respect of each aircraft exported to Australia, setting forth that the Australian special requirements have in fact been complied with and the documents, which the Government of the United States has expressed a willingness to furnish, have actually been despatched, the Bureau of Air Commerce will issue and forward such document directly to the Australian importer. The document will be similar to the draft enclosed in Captain Johnston’s letter of May 8, 1936, to the Consul General.
The Bureau of Air Commerce understands that the certificate referred to above is intended to cover the data and documents listed under Sections A and B only of the letter of April 2, 1936, addressed by the Consul General to Captain Johnston, and that the purpose of such certificate is to facilitate the passing of each particular aircraft through the Australian Department of Customs.
The third paragraph of Captain Johnston’s letter of May 8, 1936, reads as follows:
“I feel therefore, that the agreement may be based on your Government’s proposals, provided that, should experience indicate that the conditions require alterations or additions the agreement may be revised at any future date.”
Should changed conditions require alterations in or additions to the proposed arrangement, it is felt that at least sixty days notice of the contemplated alterations or additions should be given this Government [Page 781] by the Australian authorities. Such notice would afford some protection to American manufacturers engaged in building planes and parts of planes for export to Australia. You should endeavor to have Captain Johnston agree to give such notice before effecting any alteration in or addition to the proposed arrangement.
With reference to the query in the last paragraph of your despatch No. 196, this Government would prefer to have an arrangement effected by an exchange of notes. However, if this is not possible, it will be satisfactory to this Government if Australia merely publishes its own regulations containing the requirements agreed upon for the admission of American planes.
Very truly yours,
- Not printed; it transmitted copies of the Consul General’s note of April 2, 1936, to Captain Johnston and Captain Johnston’s reply of May 8, 1936.↩