Panama, Dec. 27.
Of considerable benefit to British India, "Hongkong and also Britain herself is the law which was signed to-day by Senor Don Harmodio Arias, President of the Republic of Panama.
'The law. which creates practically a free trade situation, exempts from duty over 600 articles and gives the President power to include others as the need arises. It will be effective from June 1, 1985, and, under it, free imports will' not pay any re-exportation charges.
In an interview, Senor Arias said that he planned to place a tariff only on imports competing with native Produce and manufactures. This would entail a loss of revenue total-Ting £100,000 annually. The Presi. dent said, however, that he believed this could easily be offset by creating a distributing centre here for Central and South America, and also by. increasing the tourist business which was largely in the hands of the British Indians—Reuter.
Washington, Dec. 28.
After five years, the final hearing of the case of the famous rum-runner "Y'm Alone" opened to-day before the commissioners.
The case has repeatedly cropped up courts since March, 1920, "I'm Alone" and her cargo of 2.800 cases of rum and whiskey off the Louisiana coast. Canada is claim ing £77,560 damages for the loss of the vessel.
The two main points to be decided are the ownership of the vessel and the exact spot at which she was sunk, Canada claims that the "I'm Alone" was owned by the Eugene Cre Shipping Ca. of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and that the vessel was sunk outside the twelve-mile limit specified the anti-rum pact between Great Britain and America On the contrary, the United States contends that the vessel was owne by a man already serving a sentence for smuggling, and that the runirunner had been sunk 8% miles from the shore after having refused the coast-guard cutter's orders to stop. Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.