John K. Aird v. United States

BIGGS, Chief Judge.

The facts relating to Aird, a radio officer formerly employed on the S. S. “Walt Whitman”, and his discharge from that vessel are set out in an earlier opinion of this court, Aird v. Weyerhaeuser S. S. Co., 3 Cir., 1948, 169 F.2d 606. Aird’s suit was dismissed on the basis of Weyerhaeuser’s non-liability as a general agent. He then proceeded with the present libel-in-personam asserting the same cause of action against the United States as owner and operator of the Whitman as he had against Weyerhaeuser. It was stipulated in the court below that the case should be tried on…