CREW OF I'M ALONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20218, 1 April 1929, Page 9

CREW OF I'M ALONE.

ACTION MAY BE DROPPED.

TREATY POSITION STATED

Australian and N.Z. Press Association

LONDON. March 29

A message from New Orleans says the newspaper Tribune states that it learns upon the highest, authority that the conspiracy charges against Captain Randall and the members of "the crew of the schooner I'm Alone are to be dropped. A British official wireless massage says the case of the sunken ship naturally has directed attention to the convention respecting the regulation of the liquor traffic made between the British and United States Governments at Washington in 1924. In Article 1 of that document the principle that three marine miles shall constitute the proper limit of territorial waters was affirmed.

In Article 2 the British Government, agreed to raise no objection to tbfl boarding of British vessels outside territorial waters in order that, inquiries might be addressed to those on board and an examination be made of a ship's papers for the purpose of ascertaining whether there were alcoholic beverages on board for importation into the United States. A vessel might bo seized and' taken into a port of the United States.

The rights conferred by that aTticle were not to bo exercised at a greater distance from the coast of the United States than could be traversed in one hour by a suspected vessel. Article 3 authorised the carriage of alcoholic liquor in liners voyaging to and from the United States. Article 4 stated that any claim by the owners of a British vessel for compensation on account of improper or unreasonable exercise of the rights conferred bv Article 2 should be referred for joint consideration to two persons, one of whom should be nominated by each of the high contracting parties. If no joint report, could be agreed upon the claim was to bo referred to the Claims Commission, which was established at Washington in 1910.