Metaxas v. United States

68 F. Supp. 667, 1946 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1983
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedOctober 30, 1946
DocketNo. 5104
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 68 F. Supp. 667 (Metaxas v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Metaxas v. United States, 68 F. Supp. 667, 1946 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1983 (S.D. Cal. 1946).

Opinion

MATHES, District Judge.

This libel in personam is brought pursuant to the so-called Clarification Act of 1943, 50 U.S.C.A.Appendix, § 1291, and the Suits in Admiralty Act, 46 U.S.C.A. §§. 741-752. Libelant alleges that he was a seaman on the S. S. “Fort George” and an employee of the United States through the War Shipping Administration; that in-1944 he signed regular shipping articles in the Canal Zone; that on the ensuing voyage he was injured as a proximate consequence of the negligence of his employer; that his resulting claim has been administratively disallowed. For such injuries and for wages, cure and maintenance, and for lack of proper medical and surgical services and medicine, libelant seeks a decree.

The Clarification Act, approved March 24, 1943, 57 Stat. 45, 50 U.S.C.A. Appendix, § 1291, provides in part: “Officers and members of crews (hereinafter referred to as ‘seamen’) employed on United States or foreign flag vessels as employees of the United States through the War Shipping Administration shall, with respect to * * * death, injuries, illness, maintenance and cure, loss of effects, detention, or repatriation, or claims arising therefrom * * * have all of the rights, benefits, exemptions, privileges, and liabilities, under law applicable to citizens of the United States employed as seamen on privately owned and operated American vessels. * * * Any claim * * * shall, if ad[669]*669ministratively disallowed * * * be enforced pursuant to the provisions of the Suits in Admiralty Act * * *.”

The Suits in Admiralty Act provides that suits thereunder against the United States may be brought “in the district court of the United States for the district in which the parties so suing, or any of them, reside or have their principal place of business in the United States, or in which the vessel or cargo charged with liability is found.” 46 U.S.C.A. § 742.

The libel at bar contains no averment as to libelant’s residence or his “principal place of business in the United States,” nor as to the whereabouts of the S. S. “Fort George.” Respondent has excepted to the libel upon the ground that the facts alleged are not sufficient to confer jurisdiction upon this court to hear the cause.

Respondent’s brief in support of the exceptions asserts that “libelant was not alleged to be a resident of this district because he is a nonresident alien and the ship was not alleged to have been found within the district because it was outside the jurisdiction of the United States when the libel was filed.”

, It is well settled, as respondent points out, that consent of the United States to a waiver of its sovereign immunity should be strictly interpreted. United States v. Sherwood, 1941, 312 U.S. 584, 590, 61 S.Ct. 767, 85 L.Ed. 1058; Schillinger v. United States, 1894, 155 U.S. 163, 166, 15 S.Ct. 85, 39 L.Ed. 108. But it is equally well settled that “seamen are wards of the court” and “favorites of the courts of admiralty.” As the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently said: “Against the contention that the Act (Suits in Admiralty) must be strictly construed because it determines the extent of the right to sue the sovereign, there is the case of the Canadian Aviator v. United States, 324 U.S. 215, 222, 65 S.Ct. 639, 89 L.Ed. 901, * * * liberally construing the Public Vessels Act, and our decision in Mclnnis v. United States, 9 Cir., 152 F.2d 387, 388, so construing one of the provisions of Public Law No. 17 [50 U.S.C.A.Appendix, § 1291]”. Kakara v. United States, 9 Cir., 157 F.2d 578.

Moreover, even strict construction will not alter the broad consent to be sued in personam in some district court of the United States on claims of the nature described in the Act. Eastern Transportation Company v. United States, 1927, 272 U.S. 675, 686, 691, 47 S.Ct. 289, 71 L.Ed. 472. Thus jurisdiction to try causes grounded upon such claims is clearly lodged in the district courts of the United States, Nahmeh v. United States, 1925, 267 U.S. 122, 45 S.Ct. 277, 69 L.Ed. 536.

Where the libel is brought to enforce a claimed liability resting entirely in rem, presence of the vessel “within the jurisdiction of the United States” has been held to be essential to confer jurisdiction of the cause under the Suits in Admiralty Act. Blamberg Bros. v. United States, 1923, 260 U.S. 452; 43 S.Ct. 179, 67 L.Ed. 346; Carroll v. United States, 2 Cir., 1943, 133 F.2d 690; cf. Kunglig Jarnvagsstyrelsen v. United States, 2 Cir., 1927, 19 F.2d 761. Where, however, the object of the libel is-enforcement of a claimed liability in personam, presence of the res is not a jurisdictional requisite. Eastern Transportation. Co. v. United States, supra, 272 U.S. at page 690, 47 S.Ct. 289, 71 L.Ed. 472.

The above quoted provisions of the Suits in Admiralty Act should, therefore,, be considered, — not as limitations upon jurisdiction, nor as conditions attached to the sovereign consent to be sued, but as-merely designating the district in which a suit thereunder, grounded either in rem or in personam, may be brought. McGhee v. United States, 2 Cir., 1946, 154 F.2d 101, 104; cf. Sportiello v. United States, D.C.E.D.N.Y., 1944, 55 F. Supp. 551; Fredricksen v. United States, D.C.S.D.N.Y. 1945, 59 F. Supp. 831; Sawyer v. United States, D.C.S.D.N.Y., 1946, 66 F.Supp. 271. Contra Abbott v. United States, D.C.S.D.N.Y. 1945, 61 F.Supp. 989.

Qearly venue in the suit at bar is. properly.laid in this court if [1] the libel-ant resides in the district, or [2] has his “principal place of business in the United States” in the district, or [3] the vessel was. found in the district at the time the libel-was filed. Thus Congress has in express, words granted to American seamen the-[670]*670privilege of suing the Government in anyone of possibly three different districts— -whichever best suits the convenience of the libelant. Nahmeh v. United States, supra, 267 U.S. at page 126, 45 S.Ct. 277, 69 L.Ed. 536.

Although literal test finds the words missing, there can be no doubt from the legislative history that Congress intended to provide as well a convenient forum for alien seamen “employed on United States or foreign flag vessels as employees of the United States through the War Shipping Administration.” [S.Rep.No.62, 78th Cong., 1st Sess., pp. 5-6, 11, 13-14; H.Rep.No. 107, 78th Cong., 1st Sess., pp. 3, 9, 21-22.]

As Judge Learned Hand said in McGhee v. United States, supra, 2 Cir., 154 F.2d at pages 104, 105: “Congress plainly meant to grant those alien seamen who manned our merchant marine during the war in the time of our dire necessity the same protection as American seamen. Surely nothing less could in decency have been vouchsafed them.

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Bluebook (online)
68 F. Supp. 667, 1946 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1983, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/metaxas-v-united-states-casd-1946.