THE NEED FOR STANDARDISATION.

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 23, 27 January 1923, Page 12

THE NEED FOR STANDARDISATION.

Judge Charles? M, .'Hough represented the .United States at; the thirteenth conference, heia last October iii London, of tha international maritime committee of shipowners, merchants, and lawyers. One of the most important topics discussed, says the "Springfield Eepublican," was the status of Government-own-., ed ships. By. international practice, not only ships of war but other Government vessels are immune from seizure and from various liabilities enforceable against ordinary merchant vessels. The question was -raised by Justice Hill, of the Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Division of the High Court,.who urged that if sovereign states engaged in trade and owned trading ships like private persons they should submit.to the ordinary jurisdiction of their own and foreign Courts/ and permit those Courts to exercise jurisdiction by the ordinary methods of writ and arrest. . *

, The German representative, Dr. Kiep, observed that the frequent visits of American vessels to German ports had made it a question of practical importance. He personally thought it an exaggeration of international law if. German Judges con-' ceded immunity to the merchant .ships of a foreign State, but he believed that opinion, in Germany was more and more tending to the opposite standpoint. How directly the matter might affect the United States is illustrated in the recent suggestion from Washington, perhaps not very seriously meant, that the new prohibition ruling might make it necessary for foreign Governments to use uaval vessels to supply their diplomats with wine. Thus far the question of the liability of Government-owned ships has not arisen in connection with prohibition, but the possibilities of trouble which it involves are sufficient to make its settlement in-advance, desirable.

The British, not having gone in for State ownership, are naturally, anxious to have State-owned ships put on the same footing as other merchant ships before the Courts, and in general the conference took their view, holding, however, that legal controversies in regard to jurisdiction should be submissible to the International Court at The" Hague. While this and the other questions raised, such as.the liabilities of carriers to cargo owners, are still to be settled by international action, the conference did much to clarify the issues involved and to promote the uniformity in maritime law which is highly desirable in the interest of commerce and of amicable international relations.