[Untitled]
Washington, January 4, 1906.
memorandum.
The delegates of the countries represented at the conference of maritime law in Brussels signed, on October 20 last, a protocola submitting for the approbation of their respective governments two drafts of agreements for the unification of certain rules on the subjects of collision and salvage.
The Belgian Government is prepared, as far as its own interests are concerned, to adopt both agreements immediately, and it entertains the hope that the Government of the United States will take a similar action.
The signing of these two agreements would be a first step toward the very important work of the unification of maritime law.
Communications to the same end have also been made by the foreign office to H. E. Mr. Henry Lane Wilson at Brussels.
[Page 73]memorandum.
The Department of State has received the memorandum of the 4th instant from the Belgian legation, wherein is expressed the hope that this Government will see its way to adopt, at an early date, the conventions relating to salvage and collisions at sea, submitted by the recent international maritime conference of Brussels.
These conventions are being considered by the Department of Commerce and Labor, to which a copy of the memorandum has been referred.
- Not printed.↩