National Character of Ship to Be Declared Before Clearance.

(1) A customs collector shall not grant a clearance for any ship until the master of such ship has declared to that officer the name of the country to which he claims that she belongs, and that officer shall thereupon inscribe that name on the clearance.

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(2) If a ship attempts to proceed to sea without such clearance, she may be detained by any customs collector until the declaratioin is made.

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