Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-10-17
BRITISH STAND AIDS
J SHIP SEIZURE CASE
Refusal to Recognize U. S.
Right Clears Way for .
Negotiations.
SHORE CONTACT is ISSUE
Status Of. Boats Outside Three.Mile
Line That Sand Small Boats
In Excepted by London. $
By the Associated Press.

In Excepted by London.
| By the Associated Press. =
Negotiations between the British
embassy and the State Department
looking to the release from custody Of
vessels OF British registry seized by.
prohibition forces outside the three
mile limit were expected to take more
definite form as a result of the definite
refusal Of the British government 10
enter an agreement which would per-
init of reciprocal authority to make.
such seizure,
"A suggestion from the United States
that an agreement whereby the two
governments could texArcise special
supervision over American and British
shipping In coastal waters outside the
Internationally accepted limit of juris-
dictfon would be Of material assistance
to American authorities in enforce
ment Of customs and liquor statutes,
was opposed by the British govern
ment in note made public last night,
on the ground that an undesirable
precedent would be established. Great
Britain. however, offered to cooperate
In every way consistent with her fixed
policies to assist in curbing the ac-
Invites of smugglers along the Amerf-
can coasts.
been described in diplomatic circles
looking to the release of vessels al
legged to have been seized on the high
seas, British representatives here are
known to have differentiated sharply
between cases of ships captured out
side the three-mile limit which had
established contact with the shore by
use OF their small boats and those
against which no such evidence lay.
1t was understood Great Britain has
indicated her willingness to adhere
to the doctrine laid down by The
sending of small boats into the
"jurisdictiOnal area" served to bring
the parent ship to all intents under
the same Jurisdiction. In other cases,
however, the British view was declar-
ed to be emphatic that American eb-
torcement agencies were without au-
thority.
In support. of the contention that
such ships as the Buema and the
Gardner, both of which ware captured
by the American dry navy" at points
from seven to nine miles off the New
Jersey coast, the British government
was understood to have relied heav.
ly on the decision obtained b. the
United States from British courts in
1905 In the case of schooner Anna"
Large Sum Seized.
The Anna. flying American colors,
was captured by the British privateer
Minerva near the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi river and her cargo of log
wood was confiscated and sold An
that-as in the cases of the ships
recently taken of New Jersey
large sum of money found on board
by the captors was seized.
Claim for the ships release was
filed through the American minister
had been captured within the mar
gfnal area over which the United
States asserted exclusive jurisdic-
ton The British courts upheld this
that the United States is stopped by
its own precedent from going outside
that margin"
The British note pointed out that
Great Britain had already taken
steps to prevent practices as to reg
OF which the United States has COM
planned in its note. adding that Great
Britain had supplemented these steps
since the American note had been
ures taken will prove successful In
preventing any breaches in the local
law"
The note of Secretary Hughes in
cluded three paragraphs from an affi-
davit executed by a federal prohibit
ton agent with respect Ito the pro-
posal declared to have been made to
him by Mr.. NJ Cole. who signs clear
ance papers for the comptroller of
customs for the British government
a. Nassau, Bahamas. concerning the
issuance of two sets of clearance
papers for liquor ships.
Accused British Agent.
That deponent asked Mr.. Cole how
the liquor runners arranged their
clearance papers and If it was posi-
Bile to get an extra set of clearance
papers. Mr.. Cole said, just a minute
and then went. to the other side of the
room and motioned deponent to come
over. which deponent did, Mr.. Cole
then stated substantially as follows:
That there are number Of ways
to handle it, but the best and sim
plest way we find is, first, to give
you clearance papers with your
liquor. then in an hour or so come
charged your cargo of liquor on the
high seas and then we will give you
another set of papers for sin ballast
for any American port Mr.. Cole ex-
planned that the first set of papers
referred to would be for a foreign
port and that IL you were searched
they could not touch you and that
after you had discharged your cargo
Of liquor you could enter the Ameri-
can port with your papers showing
in ballast
"Deponent states further that Mr..
Cole did not say that there would be
any money required outside the reeu
lar fees, but intimsted that he and
the boys expected to be taken care