Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-06-29
UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON CREW WINS
OVER NAVY IN INTERCOlL EC|ATE REGATTA
BRITAIN NOT IN
FAVOR PROPOSED
Il mile DRY LIMIT

London, June % (By A. P.)-Mar-
quis Curzon, secretary for foreign
affairs. made a lengthy and import
ant statement in the House of Lords
today ingreply to Lord Birkenhead,
who caffed attention to the seizure
by the United States of liquor on
British vessels.
The secretary declared that there
was no chance of Great Britain
agreeing in any circumstances what
ever to the proposal that the United
States authorities be given the right
10 search vessels for liquor within
the twelve mile limit. The govern
ment, he added, was fully alive to
the Importance of the case and all
channels of diplomacy were being
utilized to find an exit from a stua-
ton which was undoubtedly dis
grceable and ought not to be al
lowed to continue.
Lord Curzon explained that it was
very difficult and delicate matter
raising grave issues in both internal
tlonal law and policy. The British
government was not concerned with
American prohibition, which was
matter of domestic policy in which
the British government was not in
terested in expressing an opinion;
neither would he discuss the inter-
probation of the United States Su-
preme Court on that country's laws
But it was concerned with the treat
ment melted out British ships in
United States territorial waters and
the degree in which that treatment
concerned to or departed from in
ternational practice.
(frngf Rttfa i,,'e
/ cording to its legal authorities, LORD
CurZon said, is as follows:
There are two recognized princi-
pies of international law, which pre-
vents us from contending that the
United States committed a violation
or international law in forbidding
foreign vessels to bring liquor within
| its waters. The first is that foreign
crs trading with country must
comply with its laws: the second is
that every sovereign independent
state is supreme over all persons
an. property within its dominions.
! influding ships in its territorial
I waters.
| That is the strict Interpretation of
the law but there are other consider
! ations Of scarcely inferior validity and
importance. The principles to which l
l
| tremes, but must be applied with mod
Grafton and good sense. A ship is a
| travelling unit passing from one state
| totanother and therefore cannot escape
the necessity of complying with other
| le4al systems which may not be con-
= sfsfent with the law of the particular
country it happens to be visiting. Fur
! thermorc. it is universally recognized
that ship has particularly close re-
/ lationShip to the state whose flag she
! flies, and on many matters il is gcner.
| ally convenient that all governments
| should recognize the law of the fiae
state as paramount. The net result,
of this has been that on many matters
| the practice has grown up that state
! should not exact compliance with its
own law. even though the ship is with.
! in its waters, but leave ship questions
| to be regulated by the law of the flag
! state.
| This. however. is international prac-
tice rather than international law. and
| accordingly departure from it means a
, breach. not of International law, but OF
! the comfy Of nations Thus if ma
| ton acts unrcasonably towards the
| ships of other nations, the latter may
| rctaliatc."
referring to the breaking Of thu
| British customs seals. Lord Curzon ex
planned that the seals were not sacro
sanct outside of British waters, and il
general repeated the recent statement
made BY the prime minister. Stanle,
| Baldwin, which was to the effect tina
there was no ground for protest OF
this score and that Great Bitarin rec
ognizcd America s right TO break tn
seals in territorial waters.
| The object of British shippers il
bringing liquors under seal into Ney
York" continued Lord Curzon. Eva
not to bring test case. Their ntcn
ton was. while fully guaranteeing tina
liquor would not be landed. to Sc
| whether the United States really mean
to proceed in violation of internationa
practice and refrain from availin
themselves Of what is regarded as
/ loopho!e in the decision Of the suprem
court Of the United States, cited b
Lord Birkenhcad.
Another consideration is that tn
real motive of the United States gov
eminent in allowing the matter to com
to head at the present time is mos
probably their desire to put prcssur
on US to check the influx of liquor