150.071 Control/38
The German Embassy to the Department of State
Memorandum
concerning
Senate Bill S 202
(An Act to provide for the deportation of certain alien seamen, and for other purposes), and
Senate Bill S 31430
(Relating to the payment of advance wages and allotments in respect of seamen of foreign vessels and making further provisions for carrying out the purpose of the Seamen Act approved March 4, 1915).
The possibility of the enactment of these bills is causing the German Government great concern since they would not only deviate from international practice but would also seriously affect the rights of the German shipping companies.
This applies especially to the provisions contained in Senate Bill S 202 because the contracts concluded between the German shipping companies and their crews are governed entirely by German law. The provisions of S 314 would on the other hand create serious difficulties to the German shipping companies for the reason that they interfere with the contracts and directly tend to undermine discipline.
The German Embassy, in referring to its memoranda of April 15, 193031 and May 11, 1929,32 therefore renews its serious apprehension with regard to the enactment of the two bills.
- For representations by foreign governments regarding Senate bill 314, see pp. 808 ff.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. i, p. 255.↩
- Ibid., 1929, vol. i, p. 1005.↩