Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-02
VIGOROUS PROTEST MADE
AGAINST SHIPS SEIZURE
President OF Company Files Com
plnint With Secretary Lansing Fol-
lowing Capture OF Hooking.
HE KNOWS or no REASON
Vessel Taken by British Man-of.Wnr
Is Owned and Operated by Native
Born Americans, and No German
Is Interested.

NEW YORK. November IA pro-
test against the seizure OF the Ameri-
can steamer Hooking by a British man
of-war. which carried her, with prize
crew aboard. into Halifax, was lodged
o-day with Secretary Lansing by
Richard G. Wagner. president Of the
American Transatlantic Steamship
Company. the Hocking's owner MIR.
Wagner said he knew of no reason for
the seizure
Earlier in the day Mr. Wagner re-
ceived telegram from Captain Fabre.
advising him of the seizure Mr.
wagner sent Il reply requesting the
captain TO report by telegraph the
exact time and place of the seizure. and
TO ascertain why the vessel was seized
Reply had not been received tonight
OFFICERS AND OWNERS
ARE NATIVE AMERICANS
Mr. Wagner asserted to-day that the
officers and shareholders of the Amcrl-
can Transatlantic Steamship Company
were all native Americans.
The Hooking was bought last June
by the company, of which ! am presi-
dent, Mr.. Wagner said from Albert
Jensen. coal merchant of Copen-
hagen. Mr. Jensen had bought the
vessel In March, 1915. from w. Rvus
d Son, OF Rotterdam. who, in turn had
bought the steamer from the British
company by which she was built in
England. When Mr. Jensen bought the
snip he named her the Gronland. What
her name was before that, do not
know. ] do know. however, that she
was never owned by n German firm or
German shareholders.
we had considerable difficulty in OBJ
tanning American registry, due to the
belief that the vessel was largely
owned by foreigners.
"E. r. Chamberlain. United States
commissioner of navigation, was sus-
picious of me. apparently, when APP
piled last May for American registry
because ms name is German. The ap-
plicaiion was turned down by Mr..
Chamberlain, because. he said. he
feared there was a German interest in
this company.
Il then went to Secretary OF Com
merce Redfeld. who upheld Mr.. Cham
bcrlatn. Finally. Secretary Lansing. TO
whom i next applied. notified the De-
nartment of Commerce, after a Ions, in
vestigation, that there was no reason
why registry could not be granted.
and. accordingly, the Hooking was ad-
United TO American registry on Au-
gust 10.
KNOWS OF NO REASON
FOR SEIZURE OF VESSEL
Il know OF no reason whatever why
the Hooking should have been seized.
All officers of the company and all
shareholders. OF whom there are fifteen.
are native Americans. myself was
born in Milwaukee, was engaged in the
beet sugar interest in Wisconsin, and
later was in business as a structural
steel contractor III Chicago. con-
structed nine miles of elevated railway
In Chicago and had hand in building
the post office there"
Mr.. Wagner said that he had heard
mat Jensen. from whom he bought the
locking. had been imprisoned in Dem
mark for violating Danish neutrality
IN connection with the sale or operation
Of steamships. Jensen had told him.
Mr.. Wagner said, that he had made
about 100000 on single cargo OF
wool brought from Argentina TO Den
mark in one OF his ships How he
know.
The American Transatlantic Steam
ship Company is capitalized at $500
400, all OF which is said to be paid in.
w. }. Berger is vice president and j. p
wagner. secretary. 1t owns ten steam
ships. all recently purchased One of
these. the kankakee. sailed from Nor
folk short time ago with coal for
Argentina. as the Hooking did, and
so far as the owners know has been
allowed to proceed unmolested. The
kankakec, Mr.. Wagner said was pur-
chased under similar circumstances to
those surrounding the Hocking's pur-
chase.
WASHINGTON DISPLEASED
BN ACTION OF ENGLAND
WASHINGTON. ID. c., November l.
Officials here formally indicated to-day
their displcasure at the action OF Great
Britain in scizing the American ship
Hooking. presumably because of the
alleged invalidity in its transfer OF
registry. 1t is considered likely that a
protest will be transmitted to the
British Foreign Office within few
days.
The state Department will insist that
the nationality of American ships is
determined by the flag and not by