Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 60 Part 2.djvu/818

 60 STAT.] UNITED KINGDOM-RECAPTURED VESSELS- May 7, 1945 1909 June 15,1945 May 7 and June 15, Agreement between the United States of America and the United Kingdom 1945 respecting the use and disposition of recaptured vessels. Effected by LT. I A. S. 51 exchange of notes signed at Washington May 7 and June 15, 1945; effective from October 22, 1943. The British Ambassador to the Acting Secretary of State BRITISH EMBASSY, WASHINGTON, D. C ., Ref: 826/8/45 May 7th, 1945. DEAR MR. GREW, With reference to recent conversations which have been held between this Embassy and the State Department I now enclose a memorandum entitled "Memorandum relating to the use and disposal of United Nations vessels captured or found in the course of operations for the liberation of Europe". 2. It is the understanding of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom that the United States Government are willing to apply the principles of the annexed memorandum to vessels of all the United Nations on a reciprocal basis and, with this end in view, will enter into similar agreements with all other United Nations willing to do so and will further take such steps as may be necessary to insure that claims in the nature of prize salvage will not be advanced in the United States courts against British vessels recovered in the course of the operations covered by the memorandum or against other vessels so recovered being vessels of other United Nations entering into similar arrangements. I take this opportunity of recalling to your attention the Prize Salvage Act, 1944, whereby His Majesty's Government took power to control and prevent prize salvage claims. 3. On these understandings and with these expressions of intent the present memorandum meets with the approval of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. If it likewise meets with the approval of the United States Government, this note, together with your reply, indicating such approval and the concurrence of the Government of the United States, will be regarded as constituting an agreement between the two Governments. 1 suggest that the agree- ment should be regarded as being in effect from the 22nd October, 1943. 4. Similar notes are being exchanged by His Majesty's Government with the representatives of the Norwegian, Netherlands, Belgian and

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