Evening star., 1939-11-25
The Novicert Plan

Public reaction to the announce
ment by the British Embassy of
plans for revival of the so-called
navicert system of checking on the
How OF American exports to Europe
Is in sharp contrast to the reception
which greeted Inauguration of the
scheme prior to Americas entry in
the World War. When the British
government instituted the voluntary
pre-shipment inspection of ships
cargoes in 1915, there was vocifer-
Gus outcry against the plan by ex-
porters, maritime interests and other
persons and groups. 1t was charged
that Great Britain was trampling
upon the rights of neutrals. To join
IN such an arrangement, it was
claimed, would be to abet nullifica-
tion of the traditional doctrine of
freedom of the seas In the short
test given the system before the
United States entered the war, how
ever, shippers found that the ar
rangement worked better than they
had expected. Shipments of nom
contraband goods were greatly facili-
tated during this period.
Now the pre-shipment inspection
system is to be re-establiShed with
the consent of the State Department,
but not with its unqualified approval.
Under the plan as outlined at the
embassy, British consular authorities,
upon application by prospective ex-
porter of goods to any of ten desig-
mated neutral countries in Europe,
will examine the consignment at the
dock and, If the cargo passes the
British non contraband require
ments, will issue a special certificate
of clearance, known as a navicert.
This navicert will be the captains
passport in the event his ship is halt
ed by the British blockade. The Brit
tsh government promises that exhi-
bition of such certificate will save
the ship the inconvenience of being
conducted to British port for in
spection.
The State Department informed
the British government that the
United States will interpose no OBJ
lection to the arrangement, but made
1t plain that this Government re-
serves all its rights under interna-
tional law. The tacit acquiescence of
the United States in the navicert
system must not be construed as
relaxation by this Government of any
of its privileges of neutral trade, it
was emphasized, This conditional ap-
proval apparently keeps the program
on an experimental basis, insofar
as cooperation by this Government
is concerned. American shippers
undoubtedly will derive certain ad-
vantages from the system, but the
greatest advantages accrue to the
British. In effect they will assume
supervision, if not control, of much of
the exports to European neutrals.
The shipper whose goods fail to meet
British approval and the shipper
who sees fit not to apply for navi-
cert presumably will go on a British
black list. On the other hand, the
ships bearing navicerts may expect
to be spared the annoyance and de-
lay involved in being searched by the
British for contraband, as well as the
risks attendant upon being compelled
to sail through the war zone to a
British port of inspection, although
even the navicert is no absolute
guarantee against search. The navi-
cert experiment will be watched with
great interest by the American peo-
pie in the hope that it will increase,
rather than restrict, the free move
ment of legitimate American trade
on today's warship-patrolled seas.