Executive Order 10402—Enforcement of the Convention for Safety of Life At Sea, 1948

WHEREAS under Article I of the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, signed at London on June 10, 1948, ratified by the United States of America, and proclaimed by the President on September 10, 1942 (Treaties and Other International Acts, Series 2495), the Government of the United States of America, together with the governments of the other countries which have become parties to the Convention, undertakes to give effect to the provisions of the said Convention and of the Regulations annexed thereto, to promulgate all laws, decrees, orders, and regulations, and to take all other steps which may be necessary to give the Convention full and complete effect, so as to insure that, from the point of view of safety of life, a ship is fit for the service for which it is intended; and

WHEREAS it is expedient and necessary, in order that the Government of the United States of America may give full and complete effect to the said Convention, that several departments and agencies of the executive branch of the said Government perform functions and duties thereunder; and

WHEREAS in accordance with Article XI of the Convention it has been determined that the Convention will come into force on November 19, 1952:

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of and pursuant to the authority vested in me as President of the United States of America, it is ordered as follows:

1. The Department of State, the Department of the Treasury (Coast Guard), the Department of Commerce (Weather Bureau), and the Federal Communications Commission, respectively, are hereby directed, in relation to the fulfillment of the obligations undertaken by the Government of the United States of America under the said Convention, to perform the functions and duties therein prescribed and undertaken which appertain to the functions and duties which they severally are now directed or authorized by law to perform. Each of the said departments and the said commission shall cooperate and assist the others in carrying out the duties imposed by the Convention and by this order.

2. The Department of the Treasury (Coast Guard), or such other agency as may be authorized by law so to do, shall issue certificates as required by the said Convention, and in any case in which a certificate is to include matter which appertains to the functions and duties directed or authorized by law to be performed by any department or agency other than the issuing agency, the issuing agency shall first ascertain from such other department or agency its decision with respect to such matter, and such decision shall be final and binding.

3. Whenever the Coast Guard operates as a part of the Navy, the functions to be performed by the Department of the Treasury (Coast Guard) under this order shall vest in and be performed by the Department of the Navy (Coast Guard).

4. This order supersedes Executive Order No. 7548 of February 5, 1937, entitled "Enforcement of the Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, 1929", to the extent that the said International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea signed at London on June 10, 1948, replaces and abrogates the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea signed at London on May 31, 1929.

5. This order shall be effective as of September 10, 1952.

HARRY S. TRUMAN

THE WHITE HOUSE,

October 30, 1952