Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-03-24
CAPT. MDONALD OF DACIA
KEPT OLD GLORY FLOATING
of Crew. in Letter. Tells How Bloomfield Man, Com
ander Seized Liner Prevented Hosting of French Col
ors When Taken With Car go of Cotton

From one of the crew of the steam
ship Dacia, now held at Brest tc
await the action of a French prize
court, a letter has been received tell
! ing how Captain George Mcdonald
who resides at 80 Willard avenue
/ Bloomfield, kept the Stars and Stripes
flying above the vessel after ofileers
who came aboard said the flag would
be replaced by the French colors'
The letter says:
ION Board Steamship Dacia, Febru-
airy q, 1915, Brest, France.
1.-THE Dacia steamed from Hampton
Roads February II, at 12:45 p. M
Contrary to the many predictions,
the Dacia did not attempt to ind its
way across the Atlantic without de-
lection. The southern route for trans
atlantic steamships was kept the en-
tire voyage. Weather conditions were
favorable until February 20. Heavy
southeast gales were experienced
from the Goth until the 26th, which
caused us considerable delay.
"It is plainly seen that the British
government had no intention of de-
tanning the Dacia on the western side
of the Atlantic, as the position of the
ship was sent via wireless every
night to wireless stations ashore, and
it would have been an easy matter
for a British man-of-war to seize us
if that had been their policy.
No Warship sighted.
mo man-of-war ships were sighted
from the time the Dacia steamed
from Hampton Roads until noon on
the 27th, when a four-funnel French
battleship was sighted. An hour later
another battleship was sighted from
the bridge. Both these vessels were
quite a distance off. but it was the
general opinion that we would be
seized by one of these. But no com
munication was had with either of
these vessels via wireless or from the
bridge. and they finally passed out
of sight. We were headed for Fal-
mouth, where the captain intended
to pick up a pilot for the English
Channel
1--WE were all patting ourselves on
the back. thinking that we would land
in Rotterdam without being molested,
but few minutes later a thin curl
of smoke was sighted on the horizon,
and observations with the marine
glasses proved it TO be a French
auxiliary cruiser headed our way. At
twenty minutes after three p. m the
vessel was within ha1i1nB distance,
and with flag signals gave the order
to Stop instantly The engines were
Immediately stopped. The auxiliary
cruiser lowered a yawl boat. which
came alongside the Dacia. -Four Of
flcers and two orderlies Of the French
navy boarded the Dacia and examined
the ships papers, cargo and ship.
The papers were sealed and trans
ferred to the Europe. which was the
name of the auxiliary.
Captain Mcdonald was told by the
French officers that the United States
ensign would be lowered and the
French ensign would be raised in its
place At this Captain Mcdonald
rebelled, and Immediately presented a
written protest. In 1t Captain Nc
Donald stated that If the French
ensign was hoisted he would not be
in any way for the safe
of the ship, and further
more he would not allow any Of his
crew to aid in the navigation of the
Dacia to the port named by the
French authorities If they wanted
to navigate the ship under the French
flag they would have to have full