SEIZED VESSEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23952, 30 October 1939, Page 7

SEIZED VESSEL

THE CITY OF FLINT AMERICA IRRITATED CHARGE AGAINST SOVIET LACK OF CO-OPERATION (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) WASHINGTON, Oct. 28. (Received Oct. 29, at 8 p.m.) The Administration is deeply resentful and irritated over the City of Flint episode. The situation is so tense that the State Department issued a statement formally charging the Soviet with withholding adequate co-opera-tion, and implying that neither Russia nor Germany had been frank, if, indeed, they had been honest. Officials are very angry over Mr Steinhardt’s failure to ascertain the facts, and consider that the Soviet treatehim with contempt. Confusion with regard to the whereabouts 'of the City of Flint further strains the atmosphere. The Soviet announced that the City of Flint was ordered to leave Murmansk, but Berlin informed the Charge d’Affaires that the vessel had not sailed, which the officials do not believe. The Washington correspondent of the New York Times considers the State Department’s statement is intended as a basis for resistance of any claim for permanent possession Germany might advance in the Prize Court. The statement also reflects White House’s intense irritation over the Russian attitude and failure to accord Herr Steinhardt facilities for ascertaining the facts. The statement factually recites the circumstances surrounding the City of Flint since seizure, stressing that when she entered Murmansk the plea that she had not the charts necessary to navigate a German port must be ignored or considered unsatisfactory, since the German crew was interned. Secondly, an entirely different reason, defective machinery, was not advanced until later in justification of the release of the Germans and permitting the City of Flint to depart with the German and American crews aboard, instead of returning the vessel to the American crew. The statement continues: “ Known facts support the United States contention that the Germans did not, when entering, offer reasonable or justifiable grounds for taking the City of Flint to Murmansk. Therefore, it is the clear duty of the Soviet to return the City of Flint to the American crew. Despite Mr Steinhardt’s difficulties, the German authorities were not without information." A Diplomatic Victory The Moscow correspondent of the New York Times, Mr E. R. Gedye, says: “Defeat of the German scheme to delay the City of Flint indefinitely at Murmansk must be considered a United States diplomatic victory. The Germans are disappointed, and do not disguise that they demanded Russia to apply article 23 of The Hague Convention, 1907, providing that a neutral allow a belligerent to bring a seized neutral ship into harbour for sequestration, pending the Prize Court’s decision. A flaw was that the United States excepted article 23.” HEADED FOR GERMAN PORT CREEPING THROUGH NORTH SEA LONDON. Oct. 28. (Received Oct. 29, at 8 p.m.) It is reported from Berlin that it was announced that all were well aboard the City of Flint, which is creeping through the North Sea to an unnamed German port with the prize crew from the Deutschland running the ship, although it has been revealed that the American crew is aboard. Officials emphasised that, the British Navy was undoubtedly highly interested in the City of Flint’s whereabouts, and would sink her to prevent the contraband from falling into Germany’s hands. It is confidently predicted that she will reach port next week. TASS AGENCY INCIDENT INTENSE RESENTMENT WASHINGTON, Oct. 28. (Received Oct. 29, at 9 p.m.) The United States formally protested to Russia against withholding information concerning the City of Flint and the difficulties put in the way of communicating with the American crew. Mr Steinhardt notified Mr Cordell Hull that the Soviet authorities ordered the vessel to leave Murmansk under the German crew, contending that she had fulfilled her obligations as a neutral and was being forced to depart under the same conditions as those applying to her entry. A long and bitter cable message recited the difficulties of obtaining information, which was frequently refused. Even appointments with Soviet officials were refused, and it was impossible to communicate with the American crew by telephone or telegraph. Permission was withheld for an assistant to fly to Murmansk. It is reported that there is intense resentment at the State Department, which pointedly referred to the Tass Agency incident, whereby it announced the news of the City of Flint before the United States wa s notified, as a breach of etiquette. THE CZECH REPUBLIC ANNIVERSARY OF CREATION LONDON. Oct. 28. (Received Oct. 29, at 10 p.m.) The Exchange Telegraph Agency’s Amsterdam correspondent reports that the Gestapo jjave taken special precautionary measures throughout Bohemia and Moravia on the anniversary of the creation of the Czech Republic. The Czech National Committee appealed to all Czechs to commemorate the anniversary by wearing black ties and abstaining from alcohol and tobacco. The British United Press Praguejepresentative says: “Despite the German ban. Czechs variously observed the anniverasry. There were several clashes with the police, resulting in many arrests.” ECONOMIC EXCHANGE BRITAIN AND ITALY (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Oct. 27. For several years trade between Italy and Britain has been conducted on a basis of a clearing agreement, but with the appointment of a permanent commission it is hoped to provide a more convenient basis for trade, which, in the case of Italy, has long been under State control. Under war conditions control boards of all kinds have had to be set up in Britain, too, and the mixed commission should prove a valuable addition to the machinery of economic exchange between the two countries.