Evening star., 1933-02-11
z BODIES TAKEN
FROM DUTCH SHIP
Some Mutineers Blown to
Atoms in Air Attack
on Cruiser.
BY the Associated Press.


early today carrying the bodies OF "a
men killed by an aerial bombing which
ended the fve-day mutiny of the native
crew of the Dutch cruiser De zeven
Provincien.
On board also were rs injured men,
hurt when the 1oo-pound bomb struck
the deck of the Zeven and In the re-
sultant fire,
Men on the Piethein confirmed pre-
yious reports of the bombard rdment-how
the mutineers remained defiant to tne
end although they were pursued by a
Heet of war vessels and half dozen
airnlanes. how during the brief en-
carernent the rebels did not use the
heavy armament of the Zeven, ana now
some of the natives took to lie poaIS
when the fire broke out.
They told, besides. many more os-
tails of the De Zeven's renegade career,
started last Sunday when the crew stole
the shin when the commander was
ashore because Of dispute about pay
cuts.
White Flag Hoisted.
Four planes had taken on ana were
quickly above the runaway cruiser, on
tares, Two ships, the Orion and the
Goudenleeuw, approached the cruiser
In a wide circle.
From the Piethein, nearby. the ac-
tual fan of the bomb could not be seen,
h,It suddenly men aboard saw an en-
veloping cloud of smoke which hld hef
tunnels.
twelve minutes later the radio oper-
ator informed the commander OF tne
Zeven of the surrender and white
far was hoisted and then distress
signal was run up.
Thereupon, the squadron Of pursuit
ships advanced.
newspaper man, gave this account OF
subsequent events:
"At GAS am (Friday) we saw boats
around the zeven and men Jumping
into them. while bamboo RATS were
being thrown into the sea.
Survivors Picked Up.
Native sailors were struggling fran
tically to reach them. The boats from
the squadron were soon launched and
were busy picking up survivors.
Meanwhile, doctors boarded the.
Zeven, on which was noticed Dutcn
ensign flying A little later the ad-
rniral received the request that six men,
seriously wounded, be taken Immediately
to Batavia.
"The Piethein was instantly ordered
at full speed to the Zeven to comply
with the request. AS the Piethein was
alongside, we could see the unrecog-
nizable bodies and a pile OF. knives
which had been thrown on the deck.
"One of the officers aboard the Pie
THEM hailed an officer aboard the
11ar 1rriY1
"Odicers from the squadron were
going around with revolvers in their
hands, searching the crew, who were
standing with hands above their heads.
"Meanwhile, the admiral had sig
nailed the European ringleaders (of the
mutineers) to be taken aboard the
Evertsen and the native ringleaders
aboard the Java.
Wounded Put in Boats.
ION emergency stretchers Of sail
cloth, the wounded were being lowered
into waiting boats and were put aboard
"The Dutch officer, Baron De Vos
Van Steenwijk, aboard the Piethein,
told me that the bomb had an awful
effect. a.
TT fell just aft of the bridge on the
port side, which was blown away. The
native commander of the mutineers was
standing on the bridge. He was seri-
ously wounded.
(He died two hours later on the Pie
thein.)
"Some mutineers were blown to
atoms. The Zeven's tunnels were shat
tered and the deck armor was pierced.
The signal station was completely de-
Stroyed.
"Flatles quickly burst out
1.-THE baron described the start OF the
mutiny. He was on watch when he saw
the European engineer and some of the
native crew hauling in the boarding
ladder.
"He rushed toward them, he said.
asking. What the devil are you doing?
Thereupon they ceased hauling imme-
diately.
Petty Officer Threatened.
soon afterward he turned in. he
{. ..inued, but he was taken from bed
and taken before q group OF natives.
who stated they would offer no violence
to the officers If the latter would be
peaceable.
1.-TWO young officers and several Eu-
ropean petty officers who also were
fetched from their beds were threatened
lW1LI1 instant Q6dLIl SliOWCQ ally
fight, the baron said, adding that the
oficers were poweriess to prevent it.
"Steenwijk said they saw the ship
put out to sea. Life continued nor
mally aboard it, he went on. Euro
pean officers carried on their duties as
usual.
Asked why the officers did not take
concerted action, Steenwijk replied, I
had tried to get in touch with both
Sourabaya and Scheveningen, for We
were allowed freedom of movement but
neither station could get my signals
and as soon as the mutineers found us
in the wireless room, we were chased
out of it.
circumstances also were against
us. There was no leadership, and no
contact with each other. Each officer
tried to do something on his own. We
did try to start little counter mutiny,
but the mutineers fired their revolvers.
although they did not hit anybody.
Officer Pledges Word.
Moreover, one officer had nego-
tiated with the mutineers and had
pledged his word that We would not
resist with arms. Only those who have
gone through a similar experience can
understand our position.
"T learned Monday that the squad
ron was after U.S. The section of mu-
tineers then wavered and began to
change their views, but the others hard
ened their resistance.
1--WE eagerly watched for the squad
ron. but when it hove in sight. we had
no idea of what was in store for us. And
when We saw the planes coming, we
expected only a warning bomb.
1.-The mutineers thought the same
and their attitude was more derisive
than anxious They thought the mo-
ment had come when they presented
demands but almost Immediately the
bomb fell and the whole sorry story was
ended"
Capt. Eikeboom was relieved of COM
mana OF the De Zeven Provincien to-
day. A naval commission of inquiry has
begun an investigation