10 U.S.C. § 5948
Section 5948 · Consular powers: senior officer present afloat
Amended 1 time on record
In any foreign port where there is no resident consul of the United States, or on the high seas, the senior officer present afloat has the powers of a consul in relation to mariners of the United States.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
The words “the senior officer present afloat” are substituted for the words “The commanding officer of any fleet, squadron, or vessel acting singly”. At the time of enactment of the Revised Statutes, the word “squadron” meant any number of vessels more than one. Today the concept of “senior officer present afloat” covers as nearly as possible the current equivalent of the original statute.