Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-25
CANADA MAY Join
WITH ENGLAND IN
TN ALONE PROTEST
Dominion Is Involved Because
Sunken Vessel Was of
Canadian Registry.
ACTION TO BE GUIDED
BY OFFICIAL REPORTS
Coast Guard Declares Rum Runner
Within 12-Mile Limit When
Sighted by Cutter.

BY the Associated Press.
A Joint protest by the British and
Canadian governments against the sink
inc last Friday in the Gulf of Mexico OF
the British schooner I'm Alone by the
Coast Guard cutter Dexter is contem-
Mated if warranted by the facts as dis
closed in official reports OF the inciden''
The Canadian government has be-
ror,,e involved in the case with the
revelation that the vessel was OF Cana
dian registry.
The protest will not be made by
either government, however, until thelr
diplomatic representatives here have ex-
amined carefully full report OF the in
cident from the British consulate at
New Orleans, which mailed full detalis
to the British embassy today.
State Department Awaits Report.
The state Department is today await
ing report of the incident from the
Treasury Department. Secretary Kel-
loee said his department viii have to
study the report before determining
whether it will be forwarded to the
british embassy in compliance with the
request of Sir Esme Howard, BRUSH
Ambassador, for information on the
case.
Mr.. kellogg said he did not know
whether the Coast Guard had acted
within its authority, since 1t Is not
known whether the ship was within the
prescribed one hours run OF the coast
when hailed.
The British and Canadian positions
are that the incident may develop into
q serious one.
Distance of Pursuit Is Problem.
It was explained today that even had
the Walcott, the original Coast Guard
vessel which hailed the I'm Alone,
ordered ii to heave to within the lone
hours sailing" area prescribed IN the
rum smuggling treaties between the
United states and Great Britain and
Canada, the British government might
not countenance hot pursuit OF Sus-
pected rum runner anywhere other tnan
from point within the 12-mile limit, II
this question should be raised.
Another point which has been raised
bv the case is whether the Dexter.
which was not the original vessel to
l.all the I'm Alone, committed an overt
act in sinking the British ship so lar
from shore
An official statement issued at Coast
Guard headquarters yesterday SAID tne
r1ursrit and sinking Of the British
auxiliary schooner I'm Alone, SuS-
pected rum runner, by the Gulf OF Mex
leo Coast Guard patrol was 'in accord
with the well known doctrine OF inter
national law which authorizes contln-
uotlS pursuit of vessel that mas Vlo-
lated the law within the waters over
which the United STATES has control.
The announcement was predlcateo
upon a report from Capt. A. L. Gamble
at New Orleans, commanding the Coast
Guard forces in the Gulf. which Will pe
transmitted to the State Department
as a basis for reply to the inquiry con-
cerning the incident made by Sir Esme
Howard, the British Ambassador.
The I'm Alone, which Coast Guaro
officials characterized as a notorious
rum runner and which cleared from
Belize. British Honduras, for Bermuda
recently, was sent to the bottom in the
Gulf of Mexico last Friday by the cut
ter Dexter, which responded to calls
from the cutter Walcott after the In
Alone had been sighted inside the lz-
mile limit, dCcUtulilB " OAAoSu S"0V~-
officers.
"Coast Guard headquarters has re-
ceived a dispatch from Capt. A. L: Gam
bic, commanding the Coast Guard force.
in the Gulf, who states that he ha:
thoroughly investigated the sinking o.
the I'm Alone" said the statement.
'sThere was a continuous and no.
pursuit of the I'm Alone from the time
She was first sighted and refused board'
ing. this being precisely in accord witt
the well known doctrine of internationa
law which authorizes continuous pur.
suit of a vessel that has violated tn
law within waters over which tn'
United States has jurisdiction.
1.-The I'm Alone refused to heave 10
He was armed and his actions ane
words were threatening. Capt. Gamble
reports that the action by the Coas
Guard was proper and commendaole'