No consular officer is permitted to take any action in case of a wreck,
if the “owner, master or consignee thereof is present and capable of
taking possession of the same”. If no such person is present, the consul
is required, so far as the laws of the land permit, to take all
necessary action for the preservation of vessel and cargo, and keep
inventories of the same, together with the expense involved. The consul
must make a full report of such wrecks to the State Department, whether
they occur within his jurisdiction or are brought in.
In case Americans are shipwrecked the consuls are required to “render
such assistance as may be in their power”, but they are not authorized
to incur any expense with the expectation that it will be met by the
State Department.
Whenever foreigners render aid to shipwrecked Americans, the Consul is
required to forward to the State Department an account of the facts,
giving the name of the master of the foreign vessel and those of the
crew who especially distinguished themselves for heroism or humanity.
These details should be quite exact, as they are to be laid before the
President, who is authorized by Congress to make suitable
acknowledgment. In some cases the consul may reward a rescuing crew out
of funds at his disposal.