John Bassett Moore to Woodrow Wilson
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Having understood from Senator Burton yesterday morning that he intended to speak to you concerning the so-called Seamen’s Bill now pending in the Senate, I beg leave to state that three protests against the pending bill or one substantially similar to it have been presented by Great Britain, three by the Netherlands, two by Germany and one by Spain. The principal objections made to the bill are, first, that it proposes to invest our courts with jurisdiction to apply our laws concerning seamen’s wages to all seamen without regard to their nationality or to the nationality of the vessel on which they serve, thus in effect denying to foreign nations anhy right to regulate the matter even within their own territorial jurisdiction and in respect of their own ships and seamen; and, secondly, that the bill proposes to do away with the consular supervision of ships and seamen which exists under existing treaties. There has also been some remonstrance against the doing away, as the bill proposes, with the arrest of seamen for desertion. This point is not deemed to be so important as the others, but uin order that this change may be made, notice should be given in due form of the termination of our treaties providing for the arrest of deserters. These treaties are usually terminable on a year’s notice, but the particular term is specified in each treaty.
Very respectfully yours,John B. Moore
The President,
The White House.
Would be pleased to discuss this with you. JP Tumulty ¹
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