Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 68 Part 1.djvu/915

 68 S T A T. ]

883

PUBLIC LAW 680-AUG. 27, 1954

further that the terms 'attorney for the government' and 'United States attorney', as used in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall, when applicable to cases arising under the laws of Guam, mean the Attorney General of Guam or such other person or persons as may be authorized by the laws of Guam to act therein." SEC. 2. The amendment made by section 1 shall be deemed to be in effect as of August 1, 1950. SEC. 3. No conviction of a defendant in a criminal proceeding in the District Court of Guam heretofore had shall be reversed or set aside on the ground that the defendant was not indicted by a grand jury or tried by a petit jury. SEC. 4. If any particular provision of this Act, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances, is held invalid, the remainder of the Act and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. Approved August 27, 1954. Public Law 680

Definitions.

Effective date. N o n r e v e r s a l of prior Conviction.

Separability.

CHAPTER 1018

AN ACT To protect the rights of vessels of the United States on the high seas and in territorial waters of foreign countries. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the purposes of this Act the term "vessel of the United States" shall mean any private vessel documented or certificated under the laws of the United States. SEC. 2. In any case where— (a) a vessel of the United States is seized by a foreign country on the basis of rights or claims in territorial waters or the high seas which are not recognized by the United States; and (b) there is no dispute of material facts with respect to the location or activity of such vessel at the time of such seizure, the Secretary of State shall as soon as practicable take such action as he deems appropriate to attend to the welfare of such vessel and its crew while it is held by such country and to secure the release of such vessel and crew, SEC. 3. I n any case where a vessel of the United States is seized by a foreign country under the conditions of section 2 and a fine must be paid in order to secure the prompt release of the vessel and crew, the owners of the vessel shall be reimbursed by the Secretary of the Treasury in the amount certified to him by the Secretary of State as being the amount of the fine actually paid. SEC. 4. The provisions of this Act shall not apply with respect to a seizure made by a country at war with the United States or a seizure made in accordance with the provisions of any fishery convention or treaty to which the United States is a party. SEC. 5. The Secretary of State shall take such action as he may deem appropriate to make and collect on claims against a foreign country for amounts expended by the United States under the provisions of this Act because of the seizure of a United States vessel by such country. SEC. 6. There are authorized to be appropriated such amounts as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. Approved August 27, 1954.

August 27. 19S4 [H. R. 9584]

Seizure of U. S. v e s s e l s on high seas, etc.

Act i o n by Secretary of State.

N o n applicability.

Appropriation.

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