Omaha daily bee., 1917-02-13
SHIP OWNERS ASK
NAVY FOR CANNON
Franklin Requests Guns to De-
fend Big Passenger Ships
of the American Line.
MORE SHIPS AT NEW YORK

Washington, Feb. Up. A. S.
Franklin, president of the lnterna-
tional Mercantile Marine, today made
formal application to the Navy de-
partment for guns to arm the passen-
ger liners of the American line.
The request states that the COM
pany has been unable to find guns
elsewhere.
1t is indicated that the Navy depart
ment, while opposed for military rea-
sons to any project of conveying
American merchantmen through the
prohibited submarine zones, tavors
furnishing such ships with guns for
their own defense.
The Navy department, it was stated
officially, has considerable number
of old model three-inch to six-inch
rifles available Tor arming merchant
ships, but not enough fof the CONVEX
sion OF all ships it would require in
time OF war and also to furnish
defensive armament for all merchant
ment.
Question OF Crews.
The question of supplying trained
gun crews for merchantmen is more
difficult from +. departmental point OF
view. There is objection to with
drawing men from the active service
Of the navy at this time and there
is also some question as to what ef-
feet such a step would have on the
status Of ship. French ship owners
furnished guns by their navy were
required to make oath that they were
to be handled by civilian crews.
The possibility that the navy might
supply guns indirectly through loan
or sale to ship owners has received
some consideration, but preference
for direct action by the department
in placing the guns aboard is Indicated
by the shipowners.
Senator LaFollette today intro.
duced a resolution to make it unlaw'
full for any American merchant ship
in time OF peace to depart armed from
any port OF the United States for any
port in another country. 1t was moi
debated, but put on the table sub
ject to call.
Steamship New York Arrives.
New York, Feb. 1.-THE arriva
today OF the steamship New Yorl
brought the number of American
trans Atlantic passenger ships at thi:
port up to four. The New Yorl
sailed from Liverpool on February )
The American liner kroonlant
docked here yesterday and the st
Louis and St. Paul, of the same line
are still at their piers, while theil
owners await news from Washington
in regard to the policy recommended
for American shipping that woulc
risk the dangers of the German
blockade
The Cunard liner Andania, from
Liverpool January 81, and the Italian
steamer Giuseppe Verdi, from Med
iterranean ports, reached their docks
here today.
Cedric Will Take Mails.
The British liner Cedric, which
sails today for Liverpool withou
passengers, will carry 5000 sacks o
mail, which have been delayed herr
| for the last week aboard the ST
Louis.
The New York was the first Amer
lean ship to leave Liverpool afte
Germany's war zone decree went int
effect 1t passed through the DANCE
zone without sighting war craft o
any kind, its officers said.
The fourth ship under the Amer
lean flag to sail from this port for
European destination since Ger
many's renewal OF unrestricted sub
marine warfare got away last nigh
1t is the 32S-foot freighter Owego c
the Federal Forwarding compan,
bound for Genoa, carrying genera
cargo of $500 tons. Its master an
many Of its crew are Americans.