Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 47 Part 2.djvu/1150

 2740 LOAD-LINE CERTIFICATES-BELGIUM. 3) The alterations made shall not be of such a nature that the protection of openiI!gs, handrails, cargo ports, means of access to the crew's stations, shall render the vessel manifestly unfit to go to sea without danger to human life. The Belgian Maritime Inspection Service has been notified of the present arrangement and instructed to observe it henceforth. It is appropriate to point out that the correspondence exchanged on the subject discussed above, precedes the royal decree of September 14, 1931, which allows Belgian shipowners to obtain for their vessels the load line established in conformity with the ruling forming an annex to the International Load Line Agreement signed at London on July 5,1930; thus this royal decree introduces into this question a new element which it has been impossible to take into consideration. But this circumstance is not of a character to affect the {>roposed arrangement since the American ruling on load lines is Identical with the ruling forming an annex to the agreement above mentioned. Since the Government of the United States is disposed to recognize the load lines of Belgian vessels assigned according to the old regula- tions, the Government of the King takes it for granted that the Government of the United States will likewise recognize the load line assigned according to the conditions provided in the new Bel- pan rulfug in this matter. The Government of the King considers It opportune, however, again to call the attention of the Government of the United States to the fact that, in accordance with this latter regulation, the assignment of load lines consists of the letters B.I. when the load line is established by the official Belgian authorities qualified for this purpose. I I have the honor to forward to you in this connection three copies of the royal decree of September 14, 1931, as well as three copies of the official form of load-line certificate used by the Belgian Mari- time Inspection Service. I should appreciate your addressing me a letter stating the assent of the Gov~rnment of the United States to the present arrangement. The date of this communication could be considered as signify- ~ the coming into force of the arrangement. Be 80 kind as to accept, Sir, the assurance of my most distinguished consideration. MR. MA.YER, lJM,rg~ d'Affaire8 of the United State8, BMl88els. For the Minister: The Director General. ~ American O1w,rg~ d'Affaires ad interim (Mayer) to the Belgian Minister of~oreign Affair8 (Hymans) No. 804 EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Brussels, April 19, 19S5 MR. MINISTER, I have the honor to refer to Your Excellency'S note of February 4 1932 (Direction Generale B, Section I.B./Comm., No. 0 .24/354) and to its enclosures, regarding the conclusion of an arrangement between Behrium and the United States for the reciprocal recognition of ship loael-line certificates.