INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA. 



, Washington, March i8, 1914. 



Chapter I. 



SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA. 

 To the President : 



The convention is an international agreement signed by the accredited representatives, 

 in the order of signature, of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, the 

 United States, France, Great Britain (including representatives of the Australian Common- 

 wealth, the Dominion of Canada, and New Zealand), Italy, Norway (ad referendum), the 

 Netherlands, Russia, and Sweden. Japan was represented at the conference, but the delega- 

 tion was appointed at a late day and was not authorized by the Japanese Government to 

 vote in the conference or committees or to sign the convention. 



Ratifications are to be deposited not later than December 31, 1914 (Art. 71), and the 

 convention will come into force on July 1, 1915 (Art. 69). The contracting States under- 

 take to give full and complete effect to the convention (Art. 1) and to the regulations which 

 have the same force and effect as the convention (Art. 1). The contracting States also 

 undertake to propose or enact measures necessary to repress infractions of the requirements 

 of the convention (Art. 65). 



Each contracting State is authorized by Article 66 to designate those of its colonies to 

 which the convention shall be applicable. Provision is made in Article 67 for the accession 

 to the convention of States not invited to attend the London conference. 



The convention has no prescribed limit of duration, but after five years may be de- 

 nounced by any State which has ratified it (Art. 69). In the meantime useful or necessary 

 improvements in the convention may be made at any time through diplomatic channels 

 (Art. 74). 



The conference recognized from the start the difficulties in the way of securing a sub- 

 stantial agreement among the representatives of so many nations, speaking different lan- 

 guages and with differing conditions of commerce and navigation, upon the many and com- 

 plex problems involved in promoting the safety of life at sea. Many other matters related 

 to the general subject, not covered or only partially covered by the convention, were brought 

 before the several committees, which could not be disposed of within reasonable time limits. 

 The convention is designed by the nations which framed it as a broad foundation for fur- 

 ther co-operation, and this idea is particularly expressed in Articles 30, 64, XLIX, provid- 

 ing for the exchange of information to promote improvement and progress, and in Article 

 74. The spirit in which the conference closed its labors and in which the American dele- 

 gation submits its action for consideration was expressed in the words of Lord Mersey, presi- 

 dent of the conference, in moving the adoption of the convention : 



