Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-10
TWOU.S. VESSELS
/ TO BRAVE U-bOATS
Freighters Orleans and Roch-
> ester Ready to Sail for
/ Forbidden Zone.
CREWS MAINLY AMERICANS


CREWS MAINLY AMEEICANo
BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, February I0.-American
shipping circles were stirred today by
the announcement that two freighters
flying the Stars and Stripes would sail
Immediately for the European war zone.
They will be the first American ves-
sells to start from New York for the
prescribed area since the beginning of
Germanys unrestricted submarine
warfare.
The ships are the Orleans. owned by
the Oriental Navigation Company, and
the Rochester of the Kerr Steamship
Company. Both are bound for Bor-
deaux. France. The two ships nave re-
Ceived their clearance pGpers ana load
ed all their cargoes and they lay this
morning, one off the Statue of Liberty
and the other at her dock awaiting
final word from their owners.
The Orleans has an American captain.
Allan Tucker, and crew of thirty-hve.
of whom thirty-two are citizens of
the United States, The Roches.lr has
thirty-three officers and men. OF whom
/
have their names and II. 5. A.. in
large letters on their black sides, but
are not striped or marked in the man
ner prescribed for American vessels by
the German blockade regulations
Neither is armed.
No Guns to Be Mounted.
after taking the matter up at Wsah
ington we have decided, to allow the
steamer to proceed without mounting
guns of any kind" said an officer of
the Kerr line. ANY ship flying the
American flag. as the Rochester does.
has the right to trade with foreign
countries and we do not anticipate
that the steamer will be interfered
with
H. S. Quick, general freight agent of
the Kerr line, announced that the sail
ings OF the line would continue until
forcibly stopped
All information with respect to the
clearing of vessels at the custom house,
including their names, is being with
held. Officials said today that this was
being done for present on orders from
Washington.
Safe arrival at Genoa last Thursday
of the Italian steamer Dante AHghieri.
which left this port January q, was
announced here today in a cablegram
received by the ships agents. She car
ried between 400 and 500 passengers.
Baltic Safe in Liverpool.
The steamship Baltic of the White
Star line has arrived safely at Liver
pool, according to a cable message re-
ceived here last night by officers of the
company. The message, besides an
nouncing that the Baltic had reached
her pier. said "all we'll" There were
two Americans among her forty-four
l.
England a full cargo of munitions.
The American line steamship New
York. from Liverpool, the first Ameri-
can ship out of that port after the re-
cent German submarine decree was
made public, will reach New York late
tomorrow afternoon, according to a
wireless message received by officials
of the line here today.
The kroonland, also from Liverpool,
will reach Sandy Hook al midnight to-
night and dock early tomorrow morn
ing, the line announced.
Mail Problem Serious.
The post office authorities are con-
sidering the advisa bility of transfer
ring 5000 sacks of mail from the
American liner st. Louis. which has
been held up here all week by the
blockade situation, to the British
steamship Cedric, which sails tomor-
row for Liverpool without passengers
Bankers, manufacturers and railway
men said today that the reduced num-
ber of sailings from American ports
was beginning 20 be felt although as
yet there was serious congestion of
cargoes at the railroad terminals 1t
was said that many shippers are with
holding their goods from the railroads
at the point of production because they
could not obtain the necessary ocean
tonnage.
The situation is source of annoy
ance to banks doing business in foreign
exchange sold and negotiated against
exports now tied up. To guard against
the loss of interest arising from any
prolonged delay, some of the largest
banks here have sent out letters call
ing attention to the fact that owing to
the delay of mails an adjustment of
interest must be made on all items ne
gotiated prior to the date of the steam
er's sailing.
Devonian Also Is Safe,
BOSTON. February 10.-The arrival at
Liverpool of the Leyland liner Devon
ian. for whose safety some fears had
been expressed in local shipping circles,
was announced in a cablegram re-
ceived by agents here today. The Dew
oman sailed from this port January %
with munitions and ! 900 horses. Eighty
tenders. most of them Americans, were