Length at water line at 10 feet 6 inch draft: 182 feet Mean draft at standard displacement: 10 feet, 6 inches The British Ambassador at Washington informed the Secretary of State by a note dated October 22, 1931, in accordance with the provisions of article 10 of the London naval treaty, of the particulars on the laying down of the keel of His Majesty's ships Neptune, Porpoise, Orion, Diamond, Duncan, and Starfish, as follows: H.M.S."DIAMOND " Classification: Destroyer Date of laying down keel: September 29, 1931 Extreme beam at or below water line: 33 feet Mean draft at standard displacement: 8 feet, 6 inches H.M.S. "DUNCAN " Classification: Flotilla leader Date of laying down keel: September 25, 1931 Extreme beam at or below water line: 33 feet Mean draft at standard displacement: 8 feet, 8 inches H.M.S. "STARFISH" Classification: Submarine Date of laying down keel: September 26, 1931 Length at water line at 10 feet, 6 inch draft: 182 feet Mean draft at standard displacement: 10 feet, 6 inches H.M.S."NEPTUNE " Classification: Cruiser Date of laying down keel: September 24, 1931 Length at water line: 547 feet Extreme beam at or below water line: 55 feet, 8 inches H.M.S."PORPOISE " Classification: Submarine Date of laying down keel: September 2, 1931 Standard displacement: 1,500 tons (1,524 metric tons) H.M.S. "ORION " Classification: Cruiser Date of laying down keel: September 26, 1931 Standard displacement: 7,000 tons (7,112 metric tons) Extreme beam at or below water line: 55 feet, 8 inches Caliber of largest gun: 6 inches United States The Secretary of the Navy informed the Secretary of State by a note dated October 14, 1931, that the keel of the U.S.S. Cuttlefish was laid down on October 7, 1931. In accordance with the terms of article 10 of the London naval treaty of 1930, the particulars with regard to this vessel were furnished the Governments of France, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, India, Irish Free State, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, and Japan, as follows: Classification: Submarine Standard displacement: Estimated 1,130 tons (1,148 metric tons) Length at water line: 260 feet Extreme beam at or below water line: 24 feet, 91% inches By a communication dated October 27, 1931, the Secretary of the Navy informed the Secretary of State, in conformity with article 10 of the London naval treaty of 1930, that the keel of the U.S.S. Cachalot was laid down on October 21, 1931. The particulars with respect to the vessel which will be furnished to the Governments of France, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, India, Irish Free State, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, and Japan are as follows: Classification: Submarine Standard displacement: Estimated 1,130 tons (1,148 metric tons) Length at water line: 260 feet Extreme beam at or below water line: 24 feet, 9% inches United States WASHINGTON NAVAL TREATY OF 1922 By a note dated October 7, 1931, the Secretary of the Navy informed the Secretary of State that the keel of the U.S.S. Ranger was laid down on September 26, 1931. 85066-31-2 The particulars with respect to this vessel were furnished to the Governments of France, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, India, Irish Free State, New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, and Japan, as follows: Classification: Aircraft carrier Standard displacement: Estimated 13,800 tons (14,021 metric tons) Length at water line: 727 feet Extreme beam at or below water line: 80 feet, 11⁄2 inches This information was given in accordance with paragraph b, section 1, part 3, chapter 2 of the Washington naval treaty of 1922, with the additional information that this is a new construction and not a replacement.* MUTUAL GUARANTEES PROPOSED NONAGGRESSION TREATY BETWEEN BOLIVIA AND PARAGUAY 5 On October 3, 1931, the following note was sent by the representatives in Washington of the neutral Governments to the Governments of Bolivia and Paraguay regarding the pact of nonaggression in the Chaco: On September 21, the representatives in Washington of the neutral Governments suggested to the Governments of Bolivia and Paraguay (Governments of Paraguay and Bolivia) that the first meeting of the duly accredited representatives of those Governments to study and draw up a pact of non-aggression in the Chaco take place in Washington on Thursday, October 1. The Bolivian Government reiterated its intention to designate a duly authorized commission to study such a pact but stated that because of the proximity of the date fixed it would not be possible for it to attend and asked that the meeting be postponed until the Bolivian representatives might be present in Washington. The Paraguayan Government similarly requested that the meeting be postponed until the month of November in order that there might be time for its instructions to reach the Paraguayan representative in Washington. The representatives in Washington of the neutral Governments are pleased to accede to the desires of both Governments and having ascertained that there will be ample time for the representatives of both Governments to arrive in Washington before November 11, now fix that date for the first meeting. The Government of Bolivia (Government of Paraguay) is accordingly requested to instruct its representatives to meet with the representatives in Washington of the neutral Governments on Wednesday, November 11, at eleven o'clock. A second note was sent on the same day as follows: The representatives in Washington of the neutral Governments have viewed with concern the recent encounter of Bolivian and Paraguayan (Paraguayan and Bolivian) troops in the Chaco and in order to contribute in a positive way to the maintenance of peace in that region have now the honor to suggest to the Bolivian and Paraguayan (Paraguayan and Bolivian) Governments that they give categoric instructions to the commanders of all their forces in the Chaco that all their military forces be strictly confined within the limits of their respective forts in order to avoid any further incidents or clashes and thus make easier the task of the representatives of the two Governments when they meet in Washington on November 11, to draw up a pact of non-aggression. On October 16, 1931, telegrams were sent by the representatives of the Commission of Inquiry and Conciliation in Washington to the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela, asking them to authorize their representatives to join in sending a collective telegram to Bolivia and Paraguay urging both to sign a pact of nonaggression and to continue their efforts to solve their difficulties in the region of dispute. The following telegram, signed by the representatives of the abovenamed countries in addition to the representatives of the neutral Governments-Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, the United States, and Uruguay-was sent on October 19, 1931, after a meeting held in the office of the Secretary of State of the United States, to the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Bolivia and Paraguay: The representatives of all the American republics, meeting in Washington where the neutral commission resides, having been duly authorized by their respective governments, have the honor to express to the Governments of Bolivia and Paraguay their most earnest desire that, with the urgency which the matter demands, they sign a pact of non-aggression, as they have already contemplated doing, and that they continue their efforts to arrive at a definitive solution of the Chaco question which is so preoccupying the nations of the American continent. Iraq RENUNCIATION OF WAR The American Chargé d'Affaires at Baghdad has informed the Department of State that, on October 31, 1931, King Faisal approved a resolution of the Council of Ministers of Iraq to adhere to the treaty for the renunciation of war. The resolution must also be adopted by Parliament. *See Bulletin No. 21, June, 1931, p. 6. RESTRICTION OF WAR CONVENTION FOR THE AMELIORATION OF THE CONDITION OF THE SICK AND WOUNDED OF ARMIES IN THE FIELD? Russia By note dated October 13, 1931, the Swiss Minister at Washington informed the Secretary of State that "the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics sent to the Swiss Federal Council, through the International Committee of the Red Cross, the declaration of adherence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" to the convention for the amelioration of the condition of the sick and wounded of armies in the field, signed at Geneva July 27, 1929. The Minister's note further states that the adherence is to take effect March 26, 1932, and that the declaration of adherence was accompanied by a note dated at Moscow August 25, 1931, as follows: 8 The People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has the honor to transmit hereinafter the declaration of adherence of his Government to the Geneva convention for the amelioration of the condition of the sick and wounded of armies in the field of July 27, 1929. In proceeding to deposit this instrument of adhesion, he deems it proper to add that article 9 of the said convention is understood by the Government of the Union as meaning that all the effective personnel in service assigned to the sanitary formations and establishments enjoys the benefits as well of the article cited. PROTOCOL CONCERNING THE PROHIBITION OF THE USE IN WARfare of ASPHYXIATING, POISONOUS, OR OTHER GASES, AND OF BACTERIOLOGICAL METHODS OF WARFARE Iraq The American Ambassador to France transmitted to the Secretary of State by a despatch dated September 10, 1931, a certified copy of a letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iraq, dated April 7, 1931, notifying the French Government of the accession of Iraq to the protocol concerning the prohibition of the use in warfare of asphyxiating, poisonous, or other gases, and of bacteriological methods of warfare, signed at Geneva June 17, 1925. Iraq acceded to the protocol subject to the reservations that it is bound by the protocol only toward those states which have signed and ratified the protocol or have acceded thereto and that it will cease to be bound by the protocol toward any power at enmity with it whose armed forces, or the armed forces of whose allies, do not respect the protocol. 7 See Bulletin No. 22, July, 1931, p. 7. |