562.8F2/1
The British Ambassador (Lindsay) to the Secretary of State
Sir: Under instructions from His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs I have the honor to inform you that His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom propose to hold a conference on whaling in London during April next, and to enquire whether the United States Government will be able to send a representative. I shall shortly be in a position to communicate to you the exact date on which the conference will be opened.
The object of the conference is to bring about an agreement between all the countries interested in whaling on the measures to be taken beyond the restrictions included in the Whaling Convention of 1931,1 in order to prevent excessive and wasteful exploitation of whale fisheries in the Antarctic during the season 1937–1938. In the last season the British and Norwegian whaling companies agreed voluntarily to restrictions on the length of the season, the number of whale catcher? per factory ship, the production of whale oil per factory, and so forth, as a result of protracted discussions between His Majesty’s Government and the Norwegian Government; but for the coming season it is hoped to return to more systematic restriction by Government regulations. This is the more important in that Japan, who has not yet acceded to the 1931 Convention is largely increasing her whaling fleet in the Antarctic, and that Germany took part in whaling for the first time last season and will probably operate more ships next season.
In view of these considerations and as at least one factory ship and a number of whale catchers employed in the Southern Hemisphere are registered in the United States of America, His Majesty’s Government earnestly hope that the United States Government will be represented at this conference. His Majesty’s Governments in the Dominions, and the German, Japanese, Portuguese and Norwegian Governments have also been invited to send representatives.
I have [etc.]
- Signed by the United States March 31, 1932; Department of State Treaty Series No. 880, or 49 Stat. 3709.↩