New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-05
Nieuw Amsierdam's Skip
per Says U-BOat Menace
Is Steadily Growing.
TUGS GUIDED LINER
PAST DANGER ZONE
Firemen. Afraid to Sail. Struck
al First-De koven Returns
with New Opera.

Shipping IN the North Sea IS more
dangerous now than a, any time since
the beginning of the war, according %
Captain P. Van den Heuvel, Of the
Hollsnd-America liner Nieuw Amster-
dam, who brought his ship in from
Rotterdam yesterday. The Nicuw
Amsterdam was the first passenger
ship TO leave Rotterdam since the tor.
pedoing Of the Tubsntis on March Is
She sailed on March %, with a convoy
OF two sea-going tugs capable OF hold
ing 1000 persons. after q days delay
on account Of fremen's strike.
Captain Van den Heuvel was in com
mand OF the Ryndsm OF the same line
when she struck a mine in the English
Channel on January .. lie said it hal
been definitely established ,hs the OK
ploson. which killed three iircmen out.
right and injured twenty more. was
not tho work Of torpedo, as had been
supposed here, pieces of the mine hav-
ing been found in the ship after she
had put into Gravesend for temporary
repairs.
In describing the extraordinary pre-
cautions taken 20 safeguard shipping
in the lower North Sea since the Ger
man submarine edict went into effect
on March l. the captain said that the
large tug Atlas, with powerful wireless
equipment. has been stationed BY the
Dutch government between the Mas
and Galloper lightships. This stretch
of scyenty-fve miles, in which the Tu-
bantis met hcr fate. he described a.
the most dangerous part of the course
10 Rotterdam. 4 feet Of Dutch tor
pedo boats are kept under steam of the
Mas lightship ready 10 answer q :
calls. and similar feet is kept by the
British government near the Gallopcr
] ightship, the captain added.
Menace 10 Neutral Ships.
In spite OF these precautions. Captain
Van den Heuvel said, the menace, even
10 ships Of neutral lines. is so great
that the Holland America Line recently
retired its largest boat. the Rotter-
dam. from service because the risk OF
running her was too great
The fremen whose strike delayed the
Nieuw Amsterdsm's sailing a day did
not ask for more wages, the captain
said, but refused at first TO sail be
cause they feared for their lives.
I'VE were scheduled 10 sail Wednes-
day, the 22d," he said. "and tho iiremcn
we're ordered aboard Monday night,
About 80 Of them came 20 the pier,
but refused TO come on board. They
explained respectfully that, since the
sinking Of the Tpbantia and other
.. q h. ,fol
great. We held several conferences
line would send two big tugs with US
as far as the Downs, they agreed to
come. The two tugs Thames and
Polyphcmus accompanied US"
De koven Has New Opera.
Reginald de Koven. composer 81 the
opera Robin Hood" returned with his
wife on the Nieuw Amsterdam. He has
pent the last two years AZ Nevcy.
Switzerland. composing a new opera.
THE Canterbury Pilgrims" for which
Percy Macksye has written the book.
II probably will be produced al the
Metropolitan next season. The new
opera is written in English. Mr.. dc
Koyen - enthusiastic over the book OF
Mr.. MscKaye.
Lazy Cookbook, vie OF Daton
Colebrooke, British government Of
iicial, was another passenger on the
Nieuw Amsterdam. She came with Mr..
and Mrs. Benjamin s. Guinness and
will be guest at their home, on
Washington Square. Lady Colebrooke
has worked for fifteen months in the
Vickers- Maxim munitions plan in Eng
land. Since she first went 20 work IN
the factory. which is IN constant dan
ger OF Zeppelin raids, the number Of
women Of all classes employed in the
different shops mas increased from only
30 to about $4,000.
J. L. Inckel. director Of the Techni-
cal Bureau Of the Dutch Colonial Min
istry, and J. {. Ankersmit. chief en-
gineer. were among the other passen-
gers. They said they had come b. ap-
pointment Of the Dutch government "a
purchasing commission for Holland
and her colonies. They will establish
permanent quarters in New York and
plan 70 purchase railroad materials OF
all kinds and farm machinery. Their
purchases. Mr.. Incsel said. would prob
ably reach s5,000000 the first year.
The Nieuw Amsterdam was stopped
OF Dover by British patrol and 727
bags Of mail were removed. She
brought 23l first class, POI second and