New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-01
Cancellation of German
Steamship Sailings Bars
Passage Home.
SHIPPING MEN FEAR
TOTAL SUSPENSION
British and Other Lines Still
Operating, but Liable to
Stop Any Day.
LIZ cable to The rribun..I


regards the transatlantic Steamship
lines is rapidly becoming acute, iol-
lowing the announcement here OF the
postponement oc the sailing OF the I'M
perator for New York tomorrow.
Many hundreds Of Americans bcsieged
the steamship Offices, fearful OF their
inability to return home at any price.
There is bare possibility or the
Imperator sailing on Sunday, but no
assurance is offered that it ever will
leave Hamburg. II Germany declares
war all ships under the German flag
will be subject TO orders from the
Kaiser's government.
Passengers booked on the lmperator
have been transferred, partly TO the
Cunard Line and partly TO the White
Star Line, many boarding the Maure-
tana, which sails tomorrow, but the
refund OF passage money has been re-
fused. All British lines are maintain
ing their schedules thus far, though no
one is able to prophecy what will hap
pen should the war become general and
involve England.
A big German steamship official said
to The Tribune correspondent to-day:
Things look very black, indeed, but
not quite hopeless as yet"
Expect General Suspension.
II is generally believed in shipping
circles that al.regulsr steamship COM
munication between Europe and Amer
lea will cease the moment Germany
and England officially announce mobil-
ization.
Excitement among the Imperator's
passengers caused scenes of the Wild
est confusion in the Hsmburg-Amerl-
can Company's Offices throughout the
day. Count Wangersky, one of the
heads of the line, personally talked
with not fewer than three hundred
Americans, most of whom were ready
to pay anything TO be assured OF
passage TO America. He managed to
arrange for most of them to sail on
the Mauretanis, the Laurentic, the
New York, the Kroonland or the Min
netonka tomorrow, though few de-
cided to await the chance that the I'M
perator would sail on Sunday.
Count Wangersky said he received
a semi official cable dispatch this after
noon from Berlin which was a trifle
more optimistic than previous news,
but passengers were warned that the
departure Of the Imperator at any time
in the near future was only the merest
possibility.
"If the Imperator sails on Sunday,
Count Wangersky said, at will mean
that the situation has cleared up. If
she remains at Hamburg the proba-
bilities will assume the blacklist hue.
nf 1tp
ship Victoria Luise, which was to start
on August 5, has also been cancelled
for the present.
kilograms posted in the window of
the Hamburg American offices explain
the postponements as due to the
strained and clouded political situa-
ton"
No Passage Money Refunded.
Count Wangersky said that so far
demands for the refund of money paid
for passages had not been numerous
but refunding was out of the question
now owing to the impossibility of OBJ
tanning money from Germany, which
had caused a shortage of funds in the
London Office.
The North German Lloyd Line an
nounces that it has had no trouble as
vet, and no postponement has been an
nounced Of the Berlin sailing on Au-
gust 5 from Bremen, but Germany's
mobilization would place the company
in the same situation as the Hamburg
American.
The first North German boat from
Southampton, the kronprinzessin Ce-
ellie, sails on August 19, so that her
81 n N
present.
The Cunard and International Mer'
camille Marine lines have been be-
sieged by Americans seeking passages
on any boat sailing in the next few
days.
News of Hollands mobilization
awakens dread that the Holland-Amer
lea service may be suspended, and pos
sibly the Red Star service as well, but
no official statement is obtainabls
about those lines except that no cancel
lations have been reported to-day.
Practically no Americans are going
to the Continent, and thousands are
arriving in London from France, Ger
many and Switzerland.
Paris. July 31.-The pressure Of
Americans trying 10 get passage homt
was much greater to-day than 1t was
Yesterday. Bookings on all ships sail
ing a. an early date appear to be full
except some on vessels of the less de-
sirable lines.
Americans who do not wish to sal
nj once or who cannot get passage al
On early date from French port are
going to Holland, to Belgium and mos'
of all to England TO prolong their va
-. r. D. T 4