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Agreement between the British and Japanese Governments respecting the Tonnage Measurement of Merchant Ships [1922] CATSer 2 (30 November 1922)

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AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND JAPANESE GOVERNMENTS RESPECTING THE TONNAGE MEASUREMENT OF MERCHANT SHIPS

I

His Britannic Majesty’s Government and the Imperial Japanese Government have agreed as follows:

The Japanese Government, in view of the fact that the existing laws and regulations of Great Britain in regard to measurement of tonnage of merchant ships are in substantial agreement with those of Japan, hereby signify their readiness that they will deem the British ships, whose certificates of registry and other national papers duly issued by the competent British authorities are dated on or after the 1st January, 1895, to be of the tonnage denoted in the said documents and exempt such ships from being remeasured in any port or place within the Japanese territory or in localities under the control of Japan, on condition that His Britannic Majesty’s Government will engage that similar treatment shall be accorded to ships which have their ports of registry either in the territories of Japan or in other localities under the control of Japan, and which are equipped with certificates of registry or other national papers duly issued by the competent Japanese authorities on or after the 1st October, 1914, or which, not having been remeasured in accordance with the Regulations of 1914, are equipped with certificates of registry or other national papers duly issued by the competent Japanese authorities in accordance with the Regulations of 1884, and that such ships shall be exempted from being remeasured in any place within His Britannic Majesty’s Dominions or under His Britannic Majesty’s protection or control.

Either of the contracting Governments may, on giving to the other twelve months’ notice to that effect, terminate this Agreement either as a whole or separately in respect of any of the following parts of His Britannic Majesty’s Dominions, viz., the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Newfoundland and His Majesty’s Indian Empire.

In the event of the Agreement being terminated in respect of any such part of His Britannic Majesty’s Dominions, the Agreement shall cease to apply to British ships registered therein.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the Undersigned have signed the present Agreement and have affixed thereto their seals.

DONE at London, the 30th day of November, 1922.

Curzon of Kedleston

I. M. Tokugawa

II

The Marquess Curzon of Kedleston to the Japanese Chargé d’Affaires

FOREIGN OFFICE

November 30, 1922

Sir,

With reference to the Agreement which is being signed this day on behalf of the British and Japanese Governments in regard to the measurement of tonnage of merchant ships, I desire to place on record the fact that this Agreement is made with the consent of the self-governing Dominions and India.

2. It is understood, with regard to the last two clauses of the Agreement, providing for the power of separate termination in respect of the self-governing Dominions and India, that, while this power can equally be exercised by His Majesty’s Government in respect of the Irish Free State at any time after its constitution, it shall be otherwise only applicable to those parts of His Majesty’s Dominions which are specified in these clauses.

I have, etc.

Curzon of Kedleston

III

The Japanese Chargé d’Affaires to the Marquess Curzon of Kedleston

JAPANESE EMBASSY

LONDON, November 30, 1922

My Lord,

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship’s note of to-day, informing me of your desire to place on record the fact that the Agreement which is being signed this day on behalf of the Japanese and British Governments in regard to the measurement of tonnage of merchant ships is made with the consent of the self-governing Dominions and India.

It is understood, with regard to the last two clauses of the Agreement, providing for the power of separate termination in respect of the self-governing Dominions and India, that, while this power can equally be exercised by the British Government in respect of the Irish Free State at any time after its constitution, it shall be otherwise only applicable to those parts of the British Dominions which are specified in these clauses.

I have, etc.

J. M. Tokugawa