The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-16
Are Struggled Aboard
 Wrapped as Engine Room Supplies and Discovered When Gu rious Member of Crew Rips Bag With Knife
By Associated Press

300 modern machine guns with hun dreds of, spare parts, suspected by government officials to have been destined for Ireland, were seized here today by United States cus- toms officials.
 The arms, found aboard the Ameri- cnn steamship East Side, were subse- quently taken from the customs men ns they were being carted away from the pier by Hoboken police. acting on n search and seizure warrant sworn out by n man giving the name of Frank Williams. No further infor- mntion concerning him was available at Hoboken police headquarters. He alleged they haff been stolen from him on June II. The arms were taken to police beadquarters at HOboken and win be held pending hearing be- fore the recorder to determine who Is entitled to their custody.
 According to reports reaching gov ernment agencies, two changes of crews. brought about by the nation- wide marine strike. resulted in dis covery of the arms. It is reported that a member of one of the crews tipped off the government investi- gators.
 Owned by Shipping Board
 Presence of the arms on board the East Side was not known to the own CT of the ship. the United States ship ping Board. or it's managing opera tors, until they were informed of their discovery by federal investiga- tors The East Side cleared today for Norfolk, where according to Chief of Police Hayes of Hoboken she was to take a cargo of coal for port in Ireland.
 investigations as to how the arms came to be aboard. who caused them to be placed there. and for whom they were intended, are under way by officials of the customs service, the department of justice and the United States Shipping Board.
 One report is that they were snug led aboard from launches which came up to the ships side at night and the arms swathed in burlap bags were hoisted aboard as engine room supplies"
 A curious member of the crew cut into one of these bags with his knife, disclosing machine gun,
 When search WAS made the arms were found concealed in various | parts of the ship. They were re moved from the dock and placed un- der customs guard and today, while 1 bein removed from the docks to GUS toms warehouse, fell into the hands of the police by virtue of tho search and seizure warrant sworn out bs Williams
 No Official Statement
 Government representatives would make no official statements on the matter pending conclusion of the 'in- vestigations. Seizure by customs mer | is said to have been made on the grclnd that shipment of arms was l being attempted without compliance f with maratime regulations Wnlci l call for manifesting all exports. | The government investigators also were informed that after the second lcrew had assumed charge of the ship some unknown parties in launcs hailed the watchman and asked per mission ito remove from the vesse some supplies" which had been dc livered aboard the East Side by mis- take. The watchman refused to let the strangers aboard the ship with tout authority from the owners.
 A description of the seized arms and parts. as made by Williams 1T his application for the warrant. in cludes 600 Thompson submachine guns, 30 extra so-capacity lrun magazines, 50-capacity drum nagd' zines, five 100 pound-eapacity drum magazines; so extra 30-ca pdcity mag Ia2ines and hundreds of parts of ma. chine guns. Williams gave his resi- dence as Hoboken.
 When the police went to the piel to serve the warrant, they we're in i formed by the pier superintendent Chief of Police Hayes said, that th' goods had already been removed b, the customs authorities. A searcf of the pier was made, however anC the officers reported to the chief tha they found the arms loaded on ; truck A verbal clash between 2olic' and customs officers followed, whicl was settled by the customs man T charge agreeing that the arm should be taken to the police station and held there pending judicial de termination of their ownership.
 INVESTIGATION ORDERED
 Washington, June l5.--The depart ment of justice tonight ordered it. agents in New York to make an in vestigation of the arms seized or the steamer East side at Hoboken tS determine whether they constitute. a shipment for abroad. The repor