Office of the Historian

585.61B1/13

The British Ambassador (Howard) to the Acting Secretary of State

Washington, February 7, 1930.
No. 63

Sir: I have the honour to inform you that His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland propose to convene in London in May next a conference of representatives of the Governments of all maritime States with a view to the conclusion of an international convention on load-lines covering all the questions dealt with in the report of which copies were enclosed in my note No. 664 of December 21st last.

2.
His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has instructed me to convey an invitation to the United States Government, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, to send representatives to this conference which will open in London on May 20th next, and to request that the reply of the United States Government may be communicated as soon as possible. In the event of the present invitation being accepted, His Majesty’s Government will be glad to receive notification at an early date of the names of the United States delegates who should be supplied with such full powers as will enable them to negotiate and sign whatever instrument may be drawn up at the conference.
3.
I am to state that an invitation to be represented ad audiendum at the conference is being addressed to the Advisory and Technical Committee for Communications and Transit of the League of Nations.

I have [etc.]

Esme Howard