New-York tribune., 1921-05-01

Sir Roger
enameled steelware In cases, wooden
doors, window frames and other useful
cargo for Genoa. Word was spread that
the vessel was going to Libau-hencs
the name ~ and the crew dropped all
regular navy discipline and slouched
about the decks, wearing merchant
marine clothing, smoking stubby pipes
and addressing Lieutenant Spindler as
"Cap'n."
1t was decided that the fact that
no one on board spoke Norwegian was
not serious drawback, as, to quote
Lieutenant Spindler: "The English are
no great heroes in the linguistic field
and if boarded we could carry 1t off
with Plattdeutsch, which sounds suf-
ficiently different from ordinary Ger
man to pass muster with an unframed
ear as different language"
At last the Libau steamed out to sea.
Once out Of sight Of land stages were
put over the side and the name Libau
painted out. In it's place, in letters
a yard and half high, was painted:
Aud Norge. The Norwegian flag was
raised and when few hours later the
new named Aud was stopped by Ger
man patrol boat, Lieutenant Spindler,
pacing the bridge in civilian merchant
shippers clothes, pretended that he
couldn't speak German and was allowed
to proceed as a harmless neutral.
Ready to Blow Up Ship
If Captured by Enemy
For few days the Aud mapeuvered
at sea, jockeying for favorable posi-
tion to get through the English block
ade. The men grew boards and tried
| to look like Norwegians. Drills were
frequent, the most important being the
camoufage drill. For convenience in
navigation the familiar German nau-
tical instruments were used. But the
moment that an English vessel hove in
sight and the possibility of being
boarded arose, these must disappear.
So at given signal every man had a
"camoufage" duty to perform-gather-
| ing up the articles of German origin
and hiding them in the secret trapdoor
in the cabin.
Arms and ammunition were dealt
out, SO that if prize crew were put
aboard they could be overpowered, but
Lieutenant Spindler, who had ideas of
his own about prize crews, says that
"with an ample supply everywhere at
hand--good White Horse whisky and
fine old brandy-in half-illed bottles
invitingly opened, we Judged that it
might be quite possible to deal with a
prize crew without unnecessary blood
| she'd"
Preparations were also made for
blowing up the ship if it should be
captured. A large quantity Of explo-
sives was collected in one place and
surrounded by concrete casing. The
wiring with which it was to be de-
tonated led to the upper deck and
fuses were prepared. One man was
assigned the duty Of blowing up the
ship when the captain sent over the
speaking tube the Norwegian phrase
meaning "Pedersen is to come to the
Captain" The word "tyske" (Norwe-
gian for Germany meant "Stand by
with naval ensign, uniforms and arms,
for if captured they meant to die in
the uniform of Germany and flying the
German flag. The Norwegian phrases
had been culled from a pocket die
tionary bought at the last moment by
the captain.
/ Once in the North Sea they cruised
warily up the Norwegian coast and be-
gan to approach the Shetland Islands
where the English were maintaining
strict patrol. When about seventy-fvs
miles off the Shetlands British war
ship came in sight, approached ant
cruised alongside them for an hour
!, Lieutenant Spindler expected to b.
boarded and all German geaf was
4 slowed in the secret chamber. But
after carefully looking the Aud ovel
the battleship sheered of and disap-
peared, to the great astonishment Of
the Norwegian" officers and men.
Lieutenant Spindley, seeing that on
his present course he would run into
the midst Of the blockading squadrons,
considered rounding Iceland and going
in from the west, but this plan was
given up. He had, however, almost
reached the Arctic Circle on his
northerly run. The weather thickened,