Effected by Exchange of Notes Signed February 13, 1931, March 19 and 30, 1931, For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. Price 5 cents PUBLICATION No. 257 Those who desire to file the Executive Agreement Series with the Treaty Series should file the present number after Treaty Series No. 840. DEPOSITED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The American Chargé d'Affaires ad interim (Dooman) to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Shidehara) No. 46. EXCELLENCY: EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TOKYO, February 13, 1931. I have the honor to advert to the Embassy's note No. 194, dated August 24, 1922,1 proposing an arrangement between the Governments of the United States and Japan for the reciprocal recognition of ship load-line certificates pending the enactment of suitable legislation by the United States, and to the note No. 147, dated October 25, 1922,1 of Your Excellency's predecessor, Count Uchida, expressing the readiness of the Imperial Government to recognize certificates of this nature issued to American vessels. I now have the honor to inform Your Excellency that a law, entitled "An Act to Establish load-lines for American vessels, and for other purposes ", was enacted by the Congress of the United States, and became effective September 2, 1930. Your Excellency will recall that our respective Governments, together with other interested Governments, entered into an international load-line convention, which was signed at London on July 5, 1930. I am now instructed to inquire whether Your Excellency's Government would be willing to continue the arrangement in respect of ship load-line certificates made between our two Governments in 1922, pending the coming into force of the above-mentioned convention of July 5, 1930. In transmitting herewith a copy of the "Regulations for the Establishment of Load-lines for Merchant Vessels of 250 Gross Tons or Over When Engaged in a Foreign voyage by Sea", I have the honor to request Your Excellency to be so kind as to supply me with a copy of the Japanese laws and regulations (with official English translations if they be available), pertaining to load-lines of merchant vessels. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration. The Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Shidehara) to the American Chargé d'Affaires ad interim (Neville) No. 30/Cl [Translation] DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MONSIEUR LE CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Embassy's note dated February 13, 1931, informing me, with reference to the arrangement made between our two Governments in 1922 in respect of ship load-line certificates, that a law entitled "An Act to Establish Loadlines for American vessels, and for other purposes " has been enacted, and became effective September 2, 1930, and inquiring whether or not the Japanese Government would be willing to continue the abovementioned arrangement of 1922 pending the coming into force of the International Ship Load-line Convention, which was signed at London on July 5, 1930. When the notes were exchanged between the Japanese and American Governments in 1922, no ship load-line law had been enacted in the United States, and the question of the recognition by the United States of load-line certificates of Japanese ships was not raised. Consequently, no definite arrangement was made regarding this matter, the Japanese Government merely undertaking unilaterally to recognize certificates issued by the American Bureau of Shipping, pending the enactment in the United States of a law regulating ship load-lines. I wish to be assured, and request that you indicate in reply, that you have no objection to my interpreting your note, above-mentioned, to mean that pending the coming into force of the International Ship Load-line Convention, the Japanese Government will continue the arrangement of 1922 while the American Government will also recognize as valid load-line certificates duly issued by the competent Japanese authorities or by officially designated shipping associations, and their corresponding marks. Pending the receipt of your reply, the Japanese Government will continue to regard the arrangement of 1922 as effective, and I trust that the American Government will also recognize as valid the ship load-line certificates issued by the competent Japanese authorities or by officially designated shipping associations, and their corresponding marks. In compliance with your request, I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of the laws and ordinances, together with a copy in translation, relating to ship load-lines. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you, Monsieur le Chargé d'Affaires, the assurances of my high consideration. BARON KIJURO SHIDEHARA, Minister for Foreign Affairs (SEAL) EDWIN L. NEVILLE, Esquire, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, of the Embassy of the United States of America, The American Ambassador (Forbes) to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Shidehara) EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA No. 59. EXCELLENCY: TOKYO, March 30, 1931. In reply to Your Excellency's note No. 30, dated March 19, 1931, informing me that the Japanese Government will continue to recognize certificates of load-line issued by the American Bureau of Shipping to American vessels, pending the coming into force of the International Ship Load-line Convention signed at London on July 5, 1930, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the United States is recognizing the load-line marks approved by the Japanese Government. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration. HIS EXCELLENCY BARON KIJURO SHIDEHARA, His Imperial Japanese Majesty's etc., W. CAMERON FORBES. etc. The American Ambassador (Forbes) to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs (Shidehara) No. 136 EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TOKYO, August 25, 1931. EXCELLENCY: With reference to my Note No. 59, of March 30, 1931, informing Your Excellency that the Government of the United States will |