308 SOCIETY NAVAL ARCHITECTS AND MARINE ENGINEERS. 



tions to effect, if possible, a compromise. These delegations after several meetings agreed 

 upon Article 61, which was adopted by the conference. It reads: 



"Every vessel holding a Safety Certificate issued by the officers of the contracting State 

 to which it belongs, or by persons duly authorized by that State, is subject in the ports of the 

 other contracting States to control by officers duly authorized by their Governments in so 

 far as this control is directed toward verifying that there is on board a valid Safety Cer- 

 tificate, and if necessary that the conditions of the vessel's seaworthiness correspond sub- 

 stantially with the particulars of that certificate; that is to say, so that the vessel can pro- 

 ceed to sea without danger to the passengers and the crew." 



The right of necessary inspection is affirmed. The principle of this article is essential to 

 prevent the unnecessary duplication of inspections here and abroad. Such unnecessary 

 duplication of inspections involves heavy expense to each government in the maintenance of 

 an additional inspection force, when already in the United States and possibly in other coun- 

 tries the inspection force is not large enough to perform its necessary duties. Such unneces- 

 sary duplication of inspections puts obstacles in the way of and causes delay to international 

 trade, which are not merely in themselves expensive to all those concerned in the mutual 

 promotion of exports and imports between countries, but are the frequent and fruitful 

 source of friction between governments and irritation between nations. 



So far as treaties, conventions, and arrangements relating to safety of life at sea have 

 already been entered into by nations covering vessels excepted from the convention, such 

 agreements will continue to have full and complete effect by Article 68. Our present steam- 

 boat-inspection arrangement with Canada concerning vessels on the Great Lakes is of this 

 nature. The convention, of course, does not affect prior treaties, conventions, and arrange- 

 ments relating to matters not provided for in the convention, but relating to vessels (Article 

 68). 



Attached to this report are copies of the proceedings of the plenary sessions of the 

 conference and of the committees on safety of navigation, safety of construction, wireless 

 telegraphy, life-saving appliances, and certificates — in all equivalent to a quarto volume of 

 about 500 pages. 



Respectfully submitted on behalf of the United States commissioners. 



J. W. Alexander, 



Chairman. 



