UNLAWFULLY SUNK

Evening Star, Issue 21934, 22 January 1935, Page 9

UNLAWFULLY SUNK

THE RUM-RUNNER i'M ALONE

AMERICA TO PAY DAMAGES Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. WASHINGTON, January 21. (Received January 22, at 10.5 a.m.) The Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull) in note delivered to the Canadian Minister (Mr Herridge) said that while the joint American-Canadian commission found the mission and use of the rum-runner I’m Alone unlawful, they also found the sinking of her by "the United States coastguard cutter Dexter unlawful. The Government of the United States therefore tenders His Majesty’s Canadian • Government an apology for sinking the vessel Mr Hull is taking the necessary stops to secure an appropriation of 6(J,000dol as damages for the Canadian Government and the captain and crew of the I’m Alone.

[The American-Canadian Arbitration Commission decided that the United States apologise for sinking the I’m Alone on April 9, 1929, and pay Canada 25,000d0l as compensation. • Canada had claimed 386,000d0l in the Supreme Court, over which Mr Justice Vandeventer and Chief Justice Reed (Canada) presided; The commission' further decided that no compensation should be allowed the owners either for the ship or cargo. The master and the crew were not found guilty of smuggling, therefore the commission ordered compensation for them—clothing and effects and for their imprisonment. In March. 1929, the British auxiliary cruiser I’m Alone, a suspected contraband carrier, was sunk off the eastern coast of the United States in a battle with coastguard cralt. The incident provoked an acute controversy over the legality of the action of the coastguard authorities.]