150.071Control/17
The Swedish Legation to the Department of State
Memorandum
Swedish shipowners operating vessels on the United States have voiced their deep concern on account of Senate Bill 717, introduced in the United States Senate on December 9, 1927, by Senator King, regarding the deportation of certain alien seamen (“Alien Seamen Act of 1926”). The provisions of the bill seem to give room for such a strict interpretation as to exclude seamen of a kind that masters of ships very often have to employ in traffic between North and South America on account of a shortage of such seamen as would ordinarily come within the category “bona fide seamen”.
The passage of the bill would undoubtedly create great difficulties in securing the necessary crews and cause many hardships and considerable losses to Swedish shipowners.
The provisions in the bill which prescribe that all vessels entering ports of the United States manned with crews the majority of which, exclusive of licensed officers, have been engaged and taken on at foreign ports shall, when departing from the United States ports, carry a crew of at least equal number, may also create great difficulties for the Swedish shipowners.