(1) Where the Minister is satisfied that the rules in force for the measurement of tonnage of ships applied by another country are similar to the tonnage regulations of this Act, the Minister may direct that the ships of that country shall, without being remeasured in the State, be deemed to be of the tonnage denoted in their certificates of registry or other national papers, in the same manner, to the same extent and for the same purposes as the tonnage denoted in the certificate of registry of a registered ship is deemed to be the tonnage of that ship, and any space shown by the certificate of registry or other national papers of any such ship as deducted from tonnage on account of being occupied by seamen or apprentices, and appropriated to their use, shall be deemed to have been certified under this Act and to comply with the provisions of this Act which apply to such a space in the case of registered ships, unless a surveyor of ships certifies to the Minister that the construction and the equipment of the ship as respects that space do not come up to the standard required under this Act in the case of a registered ship, and if any question arises whether the construction and the equipment of the ship so come up to the required standard a surveyor of ships may inspect the ship for the purpose of determining whether such a certificate should be given by him or not.