The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-02-01
N. Y. SHIPPING
is PARALYzED
BY new ORDER
Owners of Neutral Vessels
Are In Doubt AS to
Future Course

New York, Feb. 1.-The effect of
Germanys declaration of a sea block
ade of the Entente nations to be en-
forced with eVery available weapon
and without further notice" was felt
today in every port on the Atlantic
coast. Owners and agents of vessels
flying neutral flags were in doubt as
to their future course of action and
it is believed that most of them will
keep their ships in port until instr,lc-
lions are received from their govern
ments.
In the offices Of British and French
lines it was said that there would be
no interruption in the sailing from
American ports Of ships carrying the
flags of the Entente allies. To meet
just such an emergency as this the
British government has assembled, it
was said, a large fleet of small, fast
cruisers to be used as submarine
chasers. These vessels, said to num-
Der 1000, will be available to keep the
sea lanes clear of raiders and subma-
rines and act as conveys.
P. A. S. Franklin, president of the
International Mercantile Marine and
head Of the American line, declared:
| Il do not think there is any danger
/ for American ships on their present
voyages"
| Halvoord Jacobson, representative
| of the candinavian-Americ line,
and William Van Doom, manager OF
the Holland american line, expected
to receive. cable instructions / today
from their governments. Neither OF
these lines, it was said, has carried
munitions Of war or contraban since
the early days of the war.
Shipping men pointed out that the
most obvious effect Of the German
declaration would be a reduction in
the tonnage which the freight ships
| Of the European neutral lines could
carry on account Of the increased
space which would have to be sacri-
need to carry coal and provisions for
one continuous voyage from American
ports to neutral ports. Hitherto neu-
trail ships have relied largely on Brit
ish ports to renew their Supplies.
No shipping Of any kind was per-
mitted to leave the port of New York
last night. The harbor gates were
closed by Dudley Field Malone, col
lector Of the port, who has full au.
thority to act on his own initiative in
| cases of emergency. MIR. Malone did
| AAOe UA'NAOoO LID LUCAS DIS 10 the nature
of this emergency, but after station.
ing two destroyers off Quarantine
where the harbor narrowed like the
| neck of a bottle, the Federal officials
| devoted most of their attention to the
German merchant fleet which has
| been interned here since the beginning
| Of the war.
Collector Malone called upon the
police of New York and Hoboken fol-
! assistance and sent squads of men to
| assist the guards which have been
on duty at the piers where the Ger
| man vessels lie. A thorough search
| by the neutrality guards disclosed nc
evidence of any preparation to justify
| rumors/ that the neutrality-suspicious.
and North German-IIoyd liners were
preparing to escape from the harbor
A rumor that the crews of these Ships
would attempt to scuttle their vessels
and destroy the machinery proved un.
true, so far as the Federal officials
could ascertain. Crowds gathered ir
the neighborhood Of the German line
docks in HOboken and New York ir
response to rumors that gigantic
plot of some kind had been discover.
| ed.
Officials Of the Hamburg-Americar