DUTCH SEIZE U.S. SHIP

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25129, 10 March 1947, Page 7

DUTCH SEIZE U.S. SHIP

55 ARMED MEN SENT ABOARD MASTER WALKS OFF VESSEL

I (Rec. 10 p.m.) BATAVIA, March 8. • “A party of 55 Dutch marines, sailors, and civil police, armed with Sten guns, rifles, and pistols, took possession of the United Statds ship Martin Behrman yesterday morning,'’ reports the correspondent of the Associated Press aboard the ship. “Captain R. Gray, the master of the Martin Behrman. walked off the ship after two civilian policemen had pinned the first mate’s arms when he attempted to obey an order from Captain Gray to raise the gangplank in the face of the boarding party. ■“Control of the Martin Behrman has been taken forcefully from me by armed men,’ Captain Gray told a Dutch Navy lieutenant who led one » group of 16 armed sailors aboard ship. Captain Gray added that he had received no court order or legal explanation for the action. Responsibility for the ship was no longer his and he was leaving on the advice of the charterers’ representative. “A lawyer, Mr James W. Ryan, who walked off the ship with Captain Gray, said he was cabling the charterers in New York to notify the ship’s owners —the United States Maritime Commission—that the Dutch had forcefully captured the Martin Behrman and the charterers were unable to accept further responsibility for the ship. “Hie Dutch lieutenant ordered tugs alongside and the Martin Behrman was pushed towards another wharf, where the Dutch will unload the large cargo- of rubber, sugar, and other commodities.” -

The cargo was loaded at Cheribon and confiscated under a Dutch Govemorder issued on March 5. The ru -u Behrman went to Batavia from unenbon under Dutch naval orders. Tvessel entered Cheribon without permit, bu * with the sanction , Indonesian Republic, and she Joaded a rich cargo, including rubber, sugar, and cinchona. Dutch troops unloading the Martin "Chrman’s cargo had to use shore cranes because the American crew reused to co-operate. Boon » political adviser to ine Lieutenant-Governor of the NethIndies (Dr - H. J. van sas( l shi P would be imJoaded and allowed to sail empty. I? 1 au tborities had to move 7? themselves to another dock nrH? S a ?^ ln G F a Y refused the Dutch °ut Ca Ptain Gray is still in control of the ship. Gray *°ld correspondents as he was concerned the th a „ n Bebrman was a Dutch ship and W had graooed her. News Agency reports that Pinrrt firm, Anglo-Dutch nJ-? °? s ’ I s claiming a considerable Martin Behrman’s rubber ruhSL ° D ground that it resembles atih+P 1 tb e company’s warehouses tion 6 of tb e Japanese capitularnan EpteJ?, Foreign Ministry spokesisZo K-, e Hague, commenting on Protest against the Dutch feSPp® of the British merchantman May Rover, said that in acwith international law the todies Government was ent t 0 give directions for what wafers or not be done in Indies British protest was on the anrttPL - at the ship was intercepted “"o detained on the high seas. NOTICE TO POLES IN BRITAIN