The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1917-05-11
GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATING
ACTIVITIES OF VESSELS IN
ATLANTIC. /
CREW CONFESSES ACTION
Steamers Flying American Flag HelA
At Virgin Island Under
Orders.

the steamer Manitowoc and other
vessels of he American Transatlantic
Company, which are said to have car
ried supplies to German submarines
in the Atlantic. THIS was disclosed
at the Navy Department today, but no
details of the steps taken were given
out.
The American Trans-atlantic Com
pany has Offices in New York and
Boston and its ships fly the American
flag. Oficials here will not say what
had aroused their suspicious. nut ad-
mitted the ships had been held for
Investigation at st. Thomas. Virgin
Islands, by order Of the Navy De-
partment.
Both the State and Justice De-
partments have been taking part in
the investigation
-..,- Charges of The Grow.
San Juan, Porto Rico, May s.
Correspondence of the Associated
Press. There are German subma-
rines in the Atlantic and until very
recently they have been supplied from
the United States by ships flying the
American nag, according to state
ments by members Of the crew of the
steamer ManitOwoc, which for sew
oral weeks was detained I'm the har-
Dor at ST. Thomas. Twenty-one of
AZ IN, No tad
States after difficulties with Capt. +.
HOgstead, master Of the ship.
The ManitOwoc, MuskegOn and
Olaguash, all. belonging to the same
line, shortly before the Danish Is
lands became the Virgin Islands, U.
S. A., put into the harbOr at st.
Thomas. bound from Buenos Aires
to New York, supposedly to await
ORDERS They were still waiting for
orders when the islands were trans
ferred to the United States. Ac-
! cording to their manifests all three
ships carried coal and other fuel sup
plies. Members of the crew Of the
Manitowoc say all the vessels were
! loaded with contraband for German
submarines.
! "When we left New York last we
were supposed to have a cargo of coal
exclusively" said one of the crew.
"Undernath the coal were all sorts of
fuel and food supplies. Supposedly
the cargo was destined for Buenos
Aires. Between ST. Thomas and
Buenos Aires we got rid of our cargo
on the high seas to German subma-
rines. We had no cargo when we
reached Buenos Aires"
Supplies Taken On.
At Buenos Aires that ship, the
Muskegon and the Olaguash all took
on general food cargoes. oil and
other fuel supplies, which were Gov
cred over with several hundred tons
of coal. they said. On the Manitowoc
there were also placed two iron chests
filled with gold, each supposed to
contain s25O.O0O. These. according
to the mem also were hidden under
the coal
While waiting in st. Thomas for
orders the Danish Islands were trans
ferred To the United States. aud the
ships were permitted 70 sail. The
crow of the Manitowoc tried to get
some of their pay while idle In the
harbor. but Capt. Hogstead refused
to make any payment, The men
then made complaint to Rear Ad-
miral Oliver, governor OF the island.
who required Capt. Hogstead to guar
antee that he would not supply any
more enemy ships before being per
nitted to leave the harbor. presum-
ably for Buenos Aires.
Z Capt. Hogstead was unable to get
any Instructions from the owners in
New York. ~