195.4/211
The Ambassador in France (Edge) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 18.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my cablegram No. 230 of July 29, 1 p.m., and previous correspondence in connection with the reciprocal [Page 57] recognition of the equivalence of French and American vessels inspection regulations, and to transmit herewith for the Department’s fuller information copy and translation of a note of the date of August 5,38 which has been received from the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
It will be observed that the instructions mentioned in this connection as having been sent to the authorities of the inspection service at Marseilles amount to the desired recognition of the principle of reciprocity, and there is no reason to suppose that these instructions would not be equally applicable to all other French ports if difficulties similar to those encountered at Marseilles should elsewhere arise. However, it has been ascertained informally at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs that the French Government would prefer not to make a general declaration on that subject at present, for the reason that the agreement in which the point is covered and which was signed last year at London, following the International Conference for Safety at Sea,39 is pending ratification by the Government of France as well as by that of the United States.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1929, vol. i, p. 368.↩