London, Sept. 16.
Two men, Messrs, Sydney Graham and Ralph Henry "Holland, accused in connection with the. loss of the British oiletanker La "Creseenta in the Pacific last year, when the 6,000- fon vessel sank with a loss of 20 lives, wore found not guilty and dis charged at the Old Barley this after The prosecution earlier in the day had "dropped three charges dealing with the alleged overloading of the ship. and the ease proceeded only on 8 charge of conspiring to melte the master of La Crescenta to load the ship in contravention of the Mer chant Shipping Act.
'The judge ruled there was no At evidence for the jury to find the men guilty, He said he did' not think there was evidence that the vessel at time was unseaworthy or con ducted in such a way' as f0 endanger He remarked that British law on the matier was certainly wanting in the correct view of the right way to enforce its standards und. the Seriousness of any disregard of that Standard. He hoped that the hiatus in the law might be filled' and. a remedy provided.
Overloading of the ship and the limited strength and stability of the fore and aft gangways were contelbu tory causes to the loss of the La Crescenta, according to the Judgment delivered' by the" Wreck Commis sioner, Lord Merrivale, last Decem= ber following a long inquiry, during which it was alleged that the vessel left on her last voyage over laden 10 the extent of 441 tons, Lord Merrivale directed the own-cers, the Crescent Navigation Ca, to pay £2,750 in respect of the costs of the Board of Trade, £300 towards the inquiry costs of the Mercantile Officers Guild, and '£350 towards the costs of the National Seaman's Unio
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.