THE SEIZED VESSEL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23953, 31 October 1939, Page 9

THE SEIZED VESSEL

ANXIETY IN AMERICA WHEREABOUTS OF CREW NO INFORMATION GLEANED (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) NEW YORK, Oct. 29. (Received Oct. 30, at 11 p.m.) The Washington correspondent of the New York Times says anxiety over the City of Flint’s crew is growing in official quarters, which are still unable to learn their whereabouts from Moscow or Berlin. If the City of Flint is attempting to run the blockade it is believed that the Americans will be endangered and it is feared that the Germans will scuttle the ship to prevent its capture. Further protests to Russia and Germany are likely. Official quarters are disinclined to accept what they regard as Soviet inspired propaganda about a United States diplomatic victory. They reemphasised that the Soviet broke international law. The Moscow correspondent of the New York Times, Mr E, R. Gedye, said: “ 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.” CONTRABAND CONTROL PROCEDURE OUTLINED (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Oct. 29. In view of reports from Belgium and in order to relieve any anxiety over the detention by the British contraband control of certain cargoes of foodstuffs for neutral countries, the Ministry of Economic Warfare makes clear what is the procedure with regard to grain consigned to Belgian ports from oversea. Ships carrying nothing but cereals covered by a Belgian Government guarantee against re-export, which is based on that Government’s prohibition of cereal exports, are not detained by the contraband control, For instance, two vessels, the Richard de Larrinaza and the Pennland, were released on October 17 and 18 respectively within a few hours of their arrival at the contraband control base. Infohnation has also been received that three more ships containing bulk grain cargoes are on their way to Antwerp. They have not yet arrived at the control base, but when they do there is no reason to suppose that they will be detained. Only ships carrying grain to Antwerp are detained at British control bases because they are also carrying other cargoes, such as lead and linseed, which may prove to be contraband destined for the enemy, or else cereals consigned to countries other than Belgium. The immediate release of a ship is not always possible in these cases, as it is necessary first to make sure that the commodities accompanying the cereals covered by the Belgian guarantees are not destined to reach the enemy. ± THE KING AND QUEEN VISIT TO ETON COLLEGE (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Oct. 29. The King and Queen, with the Princess Royal, motored from Windsor Castle tp-day to attend the service at the Windsor Garrison Church. Afterwards they went to Eton College to inspect an A.R.P. first-aid post and one of the latest types of air-raid shelters built for the Eton boys.