Evening star., 1927-04-11
RUM TREATY SHIP
SEIZURES UPHELD
Supreme Court Hands Down
Decision in Case of Brit
II
ish Vessel Quadra.

| BY the Associated Press
Treaties negotiated with foreign
| governments to aid prohibition en-
| forcement were in effect sustained to-
day by the Supreme Court.
The court held to be valid the prose
cutions brought by the Government
in Federal District COURTS against
crews Of vessels seized under the
| treaties. The contention of the Gov
ernment that Federal District Courts
| had jurisdiction to punish offenses
| under the treaties committed on the
| high seas outside the territorial limits
of the United States also was upheld.
The opinion was rendered in the
| case of the British steamer Quadra,
seized off the California coast by a
revenue cutter in October, 1924.
Prosecution Right Upheld.
| It held that persons brought into
| the country aboard British rum yes
sells after seizure by revenue cutters
| outside the territorial waters of the
| United States are subject to prosecu-
| ton under the criminal conspiracy
statutes. Under such seizures it was
| held that the Federal Government is
not restricted to prosecutions based
| on the Volstead and tariff acts. and
| that persons outside of the United
States conspiring with persons inside
| the United States can be prosecuted
| for conspiracy when they come into
| the jurisdiction of the United States.
The international aspect of the
| Quadra case threw it into high relief
among the tagle of prohibition pro
ceedings that have occupied so large
a share of attention in the Supreme
Court.
The British steamer Quadra, seized
off the Farallone Islands, on the Cali
fornia coast. was brought into port by
The revenue cutter Shawnee IN
October, 1924. It's officers were in
dicted and convicted on the charge
of conspiracy to violate the prohi-
bition laws. They appealed, contended
that the seizure was not authorized
by the British-American rum treaty,
and that the Federal courts in Cali
fornia had no jurisdiction over British
subjects taken on the high sea in
British vessel.
Defended As Lawful.
Defending the seizure as lawful un-
der the treaty, the Government argued
that the vessel was within miles
of the Farallone Islands, belonging to
easily within one hours sailing dis
tation Of the treaty, contenGing that
though at a greater distance from the
Golden Gate. 1t insisted that 1t was
immaterial whether the seizure was
authorized or not, so far as the trial
of the men was concerned, it having
been fully established that Federal
Courts may try indicted persons even
though brought within their jurisdic-
ton by kidnapping.
The officers of the Quadra insisted
that the court should give an interpre
tation of the treaty, contending tn"
| Great Britain specifically provided in
extending the right of seizure to one
hours sailing from shore that it
should confer Jurisdiction only over
the vessel and not over either the
crew or the cargo.
A foreign vessel on the high seas
had rights which this Nation must
respect, they asserted. and under the
British treaty it was necessary before
the vessel could be proceeded against,
to show that it was within one hours
sailing distance of the coast, by its
own power or by boats used in main
tanning contact. This they declared
the Government had failed to do.