The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-11-11
BRITISH SEARCH
AMERICAN SHIP
AN PROGRtSS0
zea|andia Also in Danger Of Cap.
ture by British Cruiser
SHIPS MYSTERIOUS VOYAGE
Recently Sailed From Pensacola, Fla,
at Night With Crew Mostly
Germans.

Washington, Nov, 1.-THE Ameri
can steamer zealandia was forcibly
searched by party from a British
cruiser last week while lying in The
port of Progresso, Mex. The Ameri-
can consul there. reports the steamer
now lying outside, presumably wait
ing to seize the ship. On the face OF
such a report as the consul sent, ev-
en- though incomplete, the official
conclusion at Washington is that the
British naval authorities not only
violated Mexican neutrality, but far
exceeded their rights in forcibly
searching an American ship in a neu-
tral port Great Britain was formally
asked yesterday for information re
garding the incident.
The Zealandia figured much OF late
in reports of the investigations of
British agents who were on the trail
of ships supposed to be fitting out in
the United States for attacking oil
carrying ships from Mexican fields,
where the British navy draws great
proportion of its supply of fuel oil.
The Zealandia has no change Of reg
istry involved, as has been the case
OF many other American ships since
the beginning of the war, but was or
iginally a Hawaiian ship which came
under the american flag at the time
of the annexation.
On Oct. the Zealandia mysterious
~ left Pensacola, Fla, at night, clear
ing for Tanpieo, Mex. carrying a
large stock Of provisions and manned
principally by a crew of Germans.
An American flag painted on her hull
had been painted over, and it was re-
ported that while at sea she few the
German colors, although this was fiat
~ denied by her owners The ship
moved from Tampico to Campeche.
where British agents located her and
reported she bore large quantity of
resin, for which there was no ostensi-
bic use in Mexico, although it is used
largely for making shrapnel They al
so reported their suspicious that she
bore a large quantity of copper, and
the British view was that the ship
was waiting for an opportunity TO slip
with the cargo to some port where it
would find its way to Great Britain s
enemies
Nothing further of her movements
was reported until yesterday, when
the American consul reported she had
been forcibly searched in port by a
party from the British cruiser which
had been lying outside. What the
searchers found the consul did not
report, but inasmuch as he reported
the cruiser still lying in wait ii was
supposed at Washington they found
something which they believed would
justify further action when the Zeal
andia puts to sea.
The forcible searching of an Am
erican ship in neutral port would
probably constitute one of the most
serious issues to arise between the
United States and Great Britain in
the controversy now in the channels
of diplomacy over the British CON
duct toward American shipping
While awaiting further details ofiic-
ials were silent. A thorough investi-
cation will be made,
The Zealandia is owned by the
F'iske trading company of New York
The owners said yesterday that they
were not aware that their vessel had
been searched, nor had they received
any report from Capt Devanchier dur
ing the past week No date has been
set for the sailing of the Zeaandia
from Progreso, it was said at the of
flee at New York as it was thought
the vessel was waiting for a cargo.
Just what this cargo was, however,
the office manager was unable to
state The Zealandia arrived at Pro-
greso on October 25. The manager
of the Fiske company again denied
that the vessel had taken aboard sew
eral officers who had escaped from
the interned German cruiser Kron-
prinz Wilhelm at Norfolk, Va, or
that the vessel had been fitted out for
the use OF Germans in possible raids
against British commerce in the re-
gion of the gulf of Mexico.