The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-30
Former Vaterland, Now a g ;
American Ship, Carries
Many Soldiers Over
to Europe.
OTHERS ARE IN SERVICE
Seized German Vessels Now Doing
Duty Ten Months Earlier
Than II Was
Expected.

L Z
A FRENCH CITY, Jan. 3o.-The
merchant fleets has brought thousands
the battle Of democracy.
Permission was granted today for the
announcement to Americans that six
two former Austrian steamships have
hers Of American soldiers and that
their holds carried thousands Of tons
of supplies.
The eignteen tncfude the great liner
Levlatha., the biggest ship In the
world, formerly the Vzteriand Of the
Hamburg7Amerlcan line.
Ten Months Earlier.
A FRENCH CITY, Jan. So.-The
great steamer L-evtathan, formerly the
Vaterland, has arrived at an Euro1-
can port, carrying thousands OF Am
erican soldiers.
They had an uneventful voyage
and did not sight a submarine.
1t is permissible to announce to
America today that the transports
Covington, Cincinnati, President Lin
coin, President Grant. Powhattan,
Madeweska, all Of which are also
former North German liners, seized
by the United States at the outbreak
of the war, and former North Ger
man-LIoyd steamships George Wash
ington, the Mount Vernon, Agamem-
non, the Aetolus, Mercury. Jocohon-
tas, Huron, America and Antigone,
have all arrived.
All these vessels had a safe pas
sage.
They carried thousands of Ameri-
can troops and thousands OF tons OF
supplies.
Every one of these transports has
arrived at European ports ten months
earlier than their former German
crews anticipated when they smash
ed the machinery aboard each liner.
Announcement may also now be
made that the steamship Baron Won
Steuben and Baron Du Kalb are now
actively engaged in service.
A half million tons of shipping
formerly property of the enemy, is
now capable OF being utilized by the
United States and the allies
Transport Sunk, e1o Lost.
LONDON, Jan. 3o.-The British
transport Aregon was torpedoed and
sunk in the eastern Mediterranean on
December 80. with loss of $40 lives,
the admiralty announced today. A de-
stroyer rescuing survivors also was
Summarized.
Sinking of the Osmanieh, a mercan-
tile auxiliary, was also announced as
having occurred December 81.
The admiralty said the two trans
ports were sunk a day apart. The
Aragon carried two thousand and the
Ormanieh 500. In the same statement
announcing this disaster, the admir-
atty announced that since the start Of
the war. nine British transports had
been sunk and nine thousand lives
lost During the same period eleven
million soldiers have been transport
ed
The transport Arason was a vessel
of s,5ss tons. property of the Royal
Mail Steam Packet company and reg
istered at Belfast.
The Osmanieh was a steamer OF
4.041 tons, the property OF the khed-
ivial Mail Steamship company and was
registered at London.
Left a Week Ago.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3G-Announce-
ment today of the arrival OF many
transports and thousands of American
TROOPS in Europe inauguratss a new
policy OF cooperation between the
censors in this country and abroad.
In the past such news would first
have to be approved by the commit
tee on public information here. But
under revised censorship regulations,
recently announced, any news ap
proved by the European censor will
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