Whilst acting in Egypt, the! Judge received a dual appointment to the Constantinople Court, and it was there that a very curious po tion arose. A number of British subjects had died and there was no cone to administer their estates.
The Foreign Office settled the matter, so far as they were concerned, leaving it to the Judge to do og he thought best, but the trouble was that there was a question as to whether he had any jurisdiction, and actually it was very obvious that he had not, for, although at the time the Armistice had been. declared, the two countries still were fat war. Of course, all British sub-Jects were only too willing to obey the Judge's ruling, and it was a grent tribute to British diplomacy, and a pronounced admiration of the justice of British law, that all the others admitted their readiness. to accept his decisions. He wrote to all the Turkish and foreign banks and they agreed to abide by his ruling. Thus, he was able to make! probate orders, and in civil eases he sat as a sort of arbitrator, acceptable to all parties. In the eventual peace treaty the situation was! corrected by a special clause, and 2il judgments were held to be binding. To go a little farther, one cannot help boasting that all foreigners: other than British were no little annoyed that it was so easy to secure a settlement where Britons. were concerned, whereas they could do nothing, Ail their Judges were consular officials and so their hands were tied, whereas the British Judicial service was a separate entity.
Judge Grain was allowed very little rest after finishing with Turkey, for, on May 31, 1921, he! was appointed Assistant' Judge in' Shanghai of H. M. Supreme Court for China. During a considerable portion of the subsequent period, he has been acting Judge and, since October 28, 1925, Judge of the High Court of Weihaiwei, Both on and off the Bench, his most marked qualities are' extreme courtesy, his kindness of henrt, and his -unfailing humour, whilst, with the dullest or most obstreperous witness, he is patient almost toa fault.
As a raconteur hho searcely has an equal in, Shane;
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.