Evening star., 1922-08-27

chinery and electriaal parts, many
times more than was necessary.
These spare parts were seldom en-
tered on the msnifests and when the
vessel returned to this country the
spare machinery and electrical parts
could not be found. A large number
Of the articles placed on board ships
were entirely unnecessary-take, FOR
instance. great quantities OF boiler
tubes, condenser tubes, boiler zines.
These went in large quantities to
Germany via tho neutral route until
the naval intelligence got on the job;
then it stopped.
The odd fact was that numerous
vessels, supposedly neutral, that made
constant trips to Holland had on
board quantities Of lubricating oil:
in fact, a survey of a number OF these
disclosed the fact that they had
enough oil on board to take them
around the world. yet when they re-
turned to American points they had
barely enough with which to get into
port. Another unique loading OF
ship was that of the s. S. Ryndam,
which showed upon examination to
have in her hold 100000 pounds of
copper in bars. cakes. wire and strips;
25O, 900 pounds Of brass in different
forms and 100 barrels Of lubricat-
ing oil and about 10000 feet Of aerial
wire-silicon bronze-and the most
remarkable part Of this was that
mono Of these articles appeared on
the ships manifest.
+ II +
TT must, in all justice, be stated
that a number Of ship firms Coop
Grated with the government and their
assistants made is possible to check
up. to a great extent, the amount and
character Of these ships stores. The
result Of this cooperation resulted
in the fining Of many masters OF mer-
chant vessels. Another fine bit OF
work done by the intelligence section
was the investigation of the charac-
ter and source Of shipments, also In
yestigations Of enemy goods IN stor-
age. All of these Investigations were
done quietly and thoroughly, there
naval intelligence worked well ana 1t
worked silently. The result was the
complete listing Of all materials
covering agricultural or manufac-
tured in storage. This in connection
with three phases of the work, the
nature of which is still confidential,
resulted in the Tightening of the net
around numerous suspected indi-
viduals, firms and companies.
1t must not be imagined. however
that a watch was kept merely on out
going vessels; whenever a vessel ar
rived at her pier there was con-
slant and actual government control
a search and muster was completed
and until these had been finished no
one was allowed to leave or 80 aboard
] the ship that had just come into port.
, The reader will realize that this
meant that the vessel was In the
continual custody Of our government
from the time that she docked until
she departed, and while 1t is true
that persons not connected with the
government assisted in loading and
unloading cargoes, yet 1t now may
/, be told that thereywas not gang OF
stevedores in any port Of the United
States but which did not contain men
connected with the naval intelligence
section. The representative Of this
branch Of the Navy might be a husky
! oad-shouldered tobacco-chewing, Jo-
vial handler of this or that part OF
the ships cargo. he might be the
rather slim checker who apparently
! was interested only in jotting down
on his pad of paper the articles COM
ing from the hold OF the ship on ar
rival in port and then again he might
have been simply an idler waiting on
the docks for the chance to make q