Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-05-08
Vessels Flying American
Flag Supporting U-Boats
In Atlantic.
RENDEZVOUS II )
DAMS s. .NDlES
Made H.adau.rt.rs ..l.nd. Recent
" Purchased ? United States
Transfer Put $ ok TO Operations.
Members Of G, w Of One Ship De-
msnd Release and DivuIse Extent -.
Operations.

San Juan. Porto Rico, May s.-There
are German submarines in the Atlan-
tic and. until very recently they have
been supplied from the United States
by ships flying the American flag. ac-
cording to statements by members OF
the crew of the steamer Msnitowoc.
which for several weel1s was detained In
the harbor at st. Tnomas. Twenty-one
Of the crew are returning to the United
States after difficulties with Captains
HoSstead. master Of the ship.
Tho Manitowoc, MuskeEon and The
Alaguash. all belonging to tho same
line. shortly before the Danish West
Indies islands became the Virgin IA
lands. U. s. A, put into the harbor 1t
st. Thomas, bound from Buenos Aires
to New York supposedly to await or
ders" X
All Carried Contraband.
They were still waiting for orders
when the islands were transferred to
tho United States. According to their
manifests, all three ships carried coal
and other fuel supplies, Members Of
tho Manitowoo crew say all the vessels
were loaded with contraband for Ger
man submarines.
when We left New York last ws
were supposed to have q cargo, Of coal
exclusively" said one member OF the
Manitowoo crew. Under the coal waa.
other fuel and Nil sorts OF food supplies.
Between st. Thomas and Buenos Aires
we got rid Of our cargo to German sub
marines. We had no cargo when ,we.
reached Buenos Aires. At Buenos Aires
our ship. the Muskegon and the ALA
guash all took on general food cargoes,
oil and other fuel supplies. which were
covered over with several tons OF coal"
On the Manitowoc there were also
placed two iron chests filled with gold.
each supposed to contain s26O.O00.
These, according to the men, also were
| hidden under the coal
Sale Of islands Holds Ships.
While waiting in st. Thomas for or
ders the Danish islands We're trans.
ferred to the United States and the
ships were not permitted to sail. The
crew OF the Manitowoc tried to get
some OF their pay while idle In the har'-
| Dor but the captain refused TO make
any payment.
The men then made a complaint ~
Rear Admiral Oliver. governor Of the
islands who required Captain Hosstcad
! to guarantee he would not Supply
any more enemy ships before beius
permitted to leave the harbor. presum-
ably for Buenos Aires. The captain said
| he was unable to get any instructions
from the owners IN New York.
One morning. according to the crew.
the captain ordered the ships nag
| hoisted upside down, indicating thero
| was mutiny on board. When Officials
on shore came on board the men In
sisted there was nothing wrong eS-
cept for the fact they refused to work
| unless their pay was guaranteed.
Finally, they said, the captain signed
such a guarantee. Shortly afterwarI
II was learned the Manitowoc had been
ordered to return to Beunos Aires aha
they were preparing to sail when the
captain repudiated his guarantee, The
men then demanded that they be re-
turned to New York, and they arrived
here Tuesday en- route to the states