Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-02-10
ANOTHER BRITISH
STEAMER HOSTS
u. .S.FLAG, CLAIM
Passengers Declare cunarder
Orduna Flew American Col
ors Crossing Irish Sea.
coMPANYs OFFICIALS
MAKE FORMAL DENIAL
Ship Agents Say Flag Was
Flown on Front Mast to
Show Destination.

NEW YORK, Feb. 10.-passengers
on the Cunard line British steamer
Orduna. which arrived here today
from England, said that the eteamer
few the American nag for nearly
twenty-four hours on January q,
while passing through The Irish sea
The Stars and Stripes, they said. were
hoisted on Sunday about an nour after
the Orduna. left Liverpool and not
hauled down until early Monday
morning.
The Cunard steamship company to-
day, in an official statement, took
issue with the claims of passengers
that Captain Taylor. master of their
new turbine liner Orduna, replaced
the union Jack with the American
flag for the trip across the Irish sea
when the vessel started on her voy-
age to this port. The assistant to the
general manager, Herman Winter, is
sued the following statement:
"As usual, the Orduna was flying
the American flag from her foremast
and the union jack from taff-rail
when she left Liverpool, and she was
flying the same flags when she en-
tered New York harbor. The flags
forward iRdicate the destination, aft
the nat.o5tality OF the vessel. There
is no truth in the report of Captain
Taylor placing the American flags Oh
the taft staff"
Hint It Is All = Joke.
The Cunard officials insisted thar
the passengers must have been mis-
taken," and suggested they '.must
have started the story for a joke
The Orduna was scheduled TO sail
from Liverpool on Saturday, January
30, but did not depart until 1890
o'clock the next morning Passengers
heard that the reason for the delay
was that a German submarine was
lowering in the vicinity. The Ameri-
can flag Wa5 raised. they said, shortly
after the Orduna cleared the Mersey.
The steamship touched at Queenstown
the same day and WAS flying the stars
and Stripes when she entered and left
the harbor. they said.
The explanation which the passen-
gers said they received from some Of
the or1una's under officers was that
the American flag had been raised for
the purpose of protecting the Ameri-
can citizens among the 240 passengers
VIII yeueh for story.
H. I. Strong. of this city. and JameA
Ford, of Lynn, Mass, were two of the
passengers who said they would youch
over their names that the American
flag was carried by the ship. They
said it was not until she had cleared
the Irish sea that II was hauled down.
Captain Thomas NJ. Taylor, COM
rnander of the Orduna. refused to dis
cuss the matter, saying he was under
orders from the British admiralty not
to talk
Charles P. Sumner. general agent of
the line in this city, denied today that
the Orduna had flown the American
flag, except at her foremast, which, he
explained, is customary on all ships TO
indicate the country to which they are
bound. Both Ford and Strong, as well
as other passengers, insisted, how
ever, that the flag was flying aft, indi-
eating the nationality of the vessel.
AT no time was the American flag
raised at the stern of the Orduna,
said Mr.. Sumner. The American flag
was raised TO the foremast mead upon
leaving Liverpool to Indicate that the
Orduna was sailing for an American
port with American passengers and
American mail. The American flag
remained at the foremast mead until
after the Orduna left Queenstown and
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