GERMAN STEAMERS AT MANILA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 978, 2 June 1917, Page 7

GERMAN STEAMERS AT MANILA.

Following 1 the break of relations between the United States and Germany, and the seizure by the American Government of German steamers detained in Philippine waters, suits involving tbe recovery of heavy damages for money and supplies given by Behn, Meyer, and Company, to the twenty-one German steamers detained in Manila, Cebu, and Zamboanga Bays, were filed recently in the court of 6rat instance against the steamship companies owning those vesselo, saye a report from Manila. The suite, twenty-one in all, one for each vessel, alleged that on August Ist, 1914, on account of the declaration of war by Germany against a number of European nations it became necessary to detain German vessels plying on high seas in neutral ports. The plaintiff claims that it has been acting as agent in the Philippines for those steamers. It asks for the attachment of the vesaels pending decision by the court, for which it has filed bonds equivalent to the amount sought to be recovered in each case. Judge Ostrand has issued the writs of attachment prayed for. The defendant companies are Nordeutscher Lloyd S.S. Company, owning eleven of the vessels in question, the Hamburg-A meriba line, owning four of them, the DeutschAustralische Dampschift's-Gesßells-chaft, owning three of them, M. Jebson, owning two, and the Deutsch-Supsee Phosphat A.G., owning one. It its alleged that these firms have their central officeß in Germany, and! bave no other property in ' the islands than tbe ships they own. The amount sought be recovered inteludes not only the sum of and cost of provisions given to each of those steamers for their maintenance and support of their crews,< but also the expenses ncurred bjf Behn, Meyer and Company in transporting their cargoes.