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INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA

PREAMBLE

The Governments of Germany, the Commonwealth of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Spain, the Irish Free State, the United States of America, Finland, France, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics; being desirous of promoting safety of life at sea by establishing in common agreement uniform principles and rules directed thereto;

Considering that this end may best be achieved by the conclusion of a Convention;

Have appointed their plenipotentiaries, namely:

The Government of Germany:

Dr. Friedrich Sthamer, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the German Reich in London.

Mr. Gustav Koenigs, Ministerialdirigent in the Reichsverkehrsministerium, Geheimer Regierungsrat, Berlin.

Mr. Arthur Werner, Oberregierungsrat in the Reichsverkehrsministerium, Geheimer Justizrat, Berlin.

Mr. Walter Laas, Professor, Director of the "Germanischer Lloyd" Classification Society, Berlin.

Dr. Otto Riess, Director ret. of the Reichsschiffsvermessungsamt, Geheimer Regierungsrat, Neubrandenburg.

Mr. Hermann Giess, Ministerialrat in the Reichspostministerium, Berlin.

Vice-Admiral Hugo Dominik, President of the "Deutsche Seewarte," Hamburg.

The Government of the Commonwealth of Australia:

Captain Henry James Feakes, Royal Australian Navy, Commonwealth Naval Representative in London.

Lieut.-Commander Thomas Free, Royal Naval Reserve (retired). Captain J. K. Davis, Commonwealth Director of Navigation. The Government of Belgium:

Baron de Gerlache de Gomery, Director-General of the Marine Department.

Mr. Gustave De Winne, Ingénieur en Chef, Director of the Marine Department.

Mr. Georges Goor, Adviser to the Marine Department.

The Government of Canada:

Mr. Alexander Johnston, Deputy Minister of Marine.

Mr. Lucien Pacaud, Secretary in the Office of the Canadian High Commissioner in London.

The Government of Denmark:

Mr. Emil Krogh, Assistant-Secretary in the Marine Department,
Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Shipping.

Mr. V. Topsöe-Jensen, Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Captain V. Lorck, Chief Examiner of Masters and Mates.

Mr. J. A. Körbing, Technical Managing Director of the United
Steam Ship Company, Copenhagen.

Mr. Aage H. Larsen, Engineer in Chief of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Shipping.

Mr. Arnold Poulsen, Engineer Commissioner to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Shipping.

The Government of Spain:

Rear-Admiral Don Francisco Javier de Salas y Gonzalez, Head of the Naval Commission in Europe.

The Government of the Irish Free State:

Mr. J. W. Dulanty, Commissioner for Trade for the Irish Free State in Great Britain.

Mr. E. C. Foster, Chief Surveyor in the Marine Branch, Department of Industry and Commerce.

The Government of the United States of America:

The Honourable Wallace H. White, Junior, Member of Congress, Chairman of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. Mr. Arthur J. Tyrer, Commissioner of Navigation, Department of Commerce.

Mr. Charles M. Barnes, Chief of the Treaty Division, Department of State.

Rear-Admiral George H. Rock, Construction Corps, United States Navy, Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair, Navy Department.

Captain Clarence S. Kempff, United States Navy, Hydrographer,
Navy Department.

Mr. Dickerson N. Hoover, Supervising Inspector-General of the
Steamboat Inspection Service, Department of Commerce.
Mr. William D. Terrell, Chief of the Radio Division, Department
of Commerce.

Rear-Admiral John G. Tawresey, Construction Corps, United
States Navy (retired), United States Shipping Board.

Mr. Herbert B. Walker, President of the American Steamship Owners' Association.

Mr. Henry G. Smith, President of the National Council of American Shipbuilders.

Captain Charles A. McAllister, President of the American Bureau of Shipping.

8-26-1929

CONVENTION

3

The Government of Finland:

Baron Gustaf Wrede, President of the Shipping Board.
Captain Väinö Bergman, Inspector of Shipping.

Consul Karl Kurten, Manager of the Finnish Shipowners' Asso-
ciation.

The Government of France:

Mr. Rio, Senator and former Minister.

Captain Haarbleicher, Naval Construction Corps, Director of
Mercantile Shipping Service, Department of Public Works.
Commander Marie, Naval Construction Corps, Direction of Mer-
cantile Shipping.

Captain Thouroude, Naval Attaché to the French Embassy in
London.

The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland:

Sir Herbert W. Richmond, Vice-Admiral, Royal Navy.

Sir Westcott Abell, Professor of Naval Architecture, Armstrong
College, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Mr. A. L. Ayre, Vice-President of the Shipbuilding Employers'
Federation.

Captain F. W. Bate, Professional Officer, Mercantile Marine
Department, Board of Trade.

Mr. C. H. Boyd, Mercantile Marine Department, Board of Trade.
Sir William C. Currie, President of the Chamber of Shipping of the
United Kingdom.

Mr. A. J. Daniel, Principal Ship Surveyor, Board of Trade.

Sir Norman Hill, Chairman of the Merchant Shipping Advisory
Committee.

Sir Charles Hipwood, Principal Assistant Secretary, Mercantile
Marine Department, Board of Trade.

Captain A. R. H. Morrell, Trinity House.

The Government of India:

Sir Geoffrey L. Corbett, Commerce Department, Government of
India.

Captain E. V. Whish, Port Officer, Bombay.

Mr. M. A. Master, General Manager of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company.

The Government of Italy:

Lieut.-General of Port G. Ingianni, General Director of the Mercantile Marine.

Vice-Admiral A. Alessio, Chief of the Technical Inspectorate of the Mercantile Marine.

Count D. Rogeri di Villanova, Counsellor to the Italian Embassy in London.

Dr. T. C. Giannini, Counsellor of Emigration.

Major-General of Port F. Marena, Vice-Inspector of Harbour Master Offices.

Engineer-General E. Ferretti, Chief of the Technical Office of the
Italian Naval and Aeronautical Register.

Mr. G. Gneme, Chief of the Telegraph Service of the General
Direction of Postal and Telegraphic Services.
Commander L. Biancheri, Royal Italian Navy.

The Government of Japan:

Mr. Yukio Yamamoto, Inspector-General of the Mercantile Marine Bureau, Expert in the Department of Communications.

Captain Shichihei Ota, Imperial Japanese Navy.

Mr. Itaro Ishii, First Class Secretary of Embassy.

The Government of Norway:

Mr. B. Vogt, Norwegian Minister in London.

Mr. L. T. Hansen, Director of the Department of Shipping, Ministry of Commerce and Navigation.

Mr. J. Schönheyder, Surveyor-in-Chief of the Ship and Engineer Division, Ministry of Commerce and Navigation.

Mr. Arth H. Mathiesen, Vice-President of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association.

Captain N. Marstrander, Chairman of the Board of the Norwegian Masters' Association.

Mr. A. Birkeland, Manager of the Norwegian Seamen's and Firemen's Union.

The Government of the Netherlands:

Vice-Admiral C. Fock, Inspector-General of Navigation.

Mr. C. H. de Goeje, Ex-Inspector-General of Navigation, Netherland East Indies.

Mr. A. van Driel, Adviser on Naval Architecture, Shipping Inspection Service.

Mr. J. A. Bland van den Berg, Inspector of Coastal and Ships' Radiotelegraphy.

Mr. Phs. van Ommeren, Junior, Chairman of Phs. van Ommeren, Ltd.

Mr. H. G. J. Uilkens, Ex-Commodore of the Netherland Steamship Company.

The Government of Sweden:

Baron Palmstierna, Swedish Minister in London.

Mr. Nils Gustaf Nilsson, Assistant Under-Secretary in the Board of Trade.

Captain Erik Axel Fredrik Eggert, Maritime Expert to the Social Board.

The Government of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics:

Mr. Jan Lvovitch Arens, Counsellor to the U. S. S. R. Embassy in Paris.

Captain Karl Pavlovitch Eggi, Commander of the Icebreaker "Lenin," Soviet Merchant Fleet (Sovtorgflot).

Who, having communicated their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed as follows:

CHAPTER I.-PRELIMINARY

ARTICLE 1

The Contracting Governments undertake to give effect to the provisions of the present Convention for the purpose of promoting safety of life at sea, to promulgate all regulations and to take all other steps which may be necessary to give the present Convention full and complete effect.

The provisions of the present Convention are completed by Regulations contained in Annex I, which have the same force and take effect at the same time as the present Convention. Every reference to the present Convention implies at the same time a reference to the Regulations annexed thereto.

ARTICLE 2

Applications and Definitions

1. The provisions of the present Convention shall apply to ships belonging to countries the Governments of which are Contracting Governments, and to ships belonging to territories to which the present Convention is applied under Article 62, as follows:

Chapter II.-(Construction), to passenger ships (mechanically propelled) on international voyages.

Chapter III. (Life-saving Appliances), to passenger ships (mechanically propelled) on international voyages.

Chapter IV. (Radiotelegraphy), to all ships engaged on inter-
national voyages except cargo ships of less than 1,600 tons
gross tonnage.

Chapter V.-(Safety of Navigation), to all ships on all voyages.
Chapter VI. (Certificates), to all the ships to which Chapters
II, III and IV apply.

2. The classes of ships to which each chapter applies are more precisely defined, and the extent of the application is shown, in each chapter.

3. In the present Convention, unless expressly provided otherwise— (a) a ship is regarded as belonging to a country if it is registered at a port of that country;

(b) the expression "Administration" means the Government of the country in which the ship is registered;

(c) an international voyage is a voyage from a country to which the present Convention applies to a port outside such country,