Evening star., 1938-01-20


trauersing 1Ddr area around Spain
and to auoid it tDhenerer possible.
Spanish insurgents haze carried on
blockade campaign against Loyal
lists ,Dhich has brought great DAM
age to shipping of other powers.
American shipping has suffered less
than has that of Great Britain and
France.
Dy the Associated Press.
PARIS, Jan. 20.-Information of the
Seizure Of the American tanker Nam
tucket Chief by two Spanish Insurgen
warships off Barcelona was forwarded
from the United States Embassy today
to Rear Admiral Henry E. Lackey
commanding American naval forces ir
European waters.
Embassy officials said the Nantucket
Chief had arrived at Palma, the in.
surgent base on Mallorca in the Bal
earic Islands, escorted by two in
surgent war craft. They said the
American Consul at Palma would
"handle all dealings" concerning the
the American Government.
I'm London Lloyd's was informed
the Nantucket Chief and an uni
Identified Soviet vessel were taken
to Palma Tuesday by insurgent
destroyers)
At the Office of the Embassy's naval
ettache 1t was said Admiral Lackey
had not been asked to take any ac-
tion. He is aboard the cruiser Raleigh
At Genoa. An official report on the
seizure also was forwarded to WASH
1ngton.
More Information Sought.
American and French naval author
tiles sought further information con-
eerning the Nantucket Chief. News
OF her plight reached Paris in a
message from the French destroyer
Vauqueln, which reported seeing her
being escorted toward Palma, Mallorca,
by two insurgent warships Tuesday.
The French navy ministry and the
American Esabas.sy said it was not de-
termined whether the tanker was
taken In Spanish territorial waters.
The Vauquelin sighted the tanker.
formerly named the Gulfight, and
the insurgent gunboats in the Medi-
terranean, so miles north of the
Balearic Islands, which include NAL
1orca.
Flying American Flag.
The Vaquelin's message confirmed
that the Nantucket Chief was flying
the American flag and declared she
had an American crew.
The Nantucket Chief was reported
reliably to have been carrying
cargo Of oil from Tuapse, Russian
Black Sea port, to Barcelona, govern
ment Spain.
Lloyds of London said the Nam
tucket Chief left Istanbul January IL.
Un Houston, Tex, L. J. Walsh,
representative of the Nantucket
Steamship Co., said their London
agent arranged for the tanker's
cargo and that 1--WE do not know
what her cargo was or her desti-
nation.")
Believed Torpedoed in 1915.
Shipping circles believed the Nam
tucket Chief might be the same oil
tanker, then the Guldight, damaged by
q torpedo from German submarine
in 1915 with the loss of three lives
Insurgent sources in Paris professed
lack of information of the reported
capture. but said it was "the logical
fate of any ship that tries to break
the blockade" of government ports
Get up by Spanish insurgents.
Probe Is Begun Here.
~ the Associated Press.
The State and Navy Departments
began an investigation today to de-
termine the authenticity of reports
that an American oil tanker-the
Nantucket Chief-had been seized by
Spanish insurgent gunboats off Bar
eelona on January 18.
The State Department received q
dispatch from the American Embassy
IN Paris this morning chronicling the
reports as received by the French
naval ministry. The Embassy advised,
however, that there as yet was no
definite confirmation.
Pending receipt Of more definite In
formation. State Department officials
declined to speculate on what action.
If any, this Government might take
II the reports were true.
Some persons in close contact with
State Department officials said there
was possibility the department
would communicate directly with
Generalissimo Francisco Franco con-
earning the matter.
Tanker Captured Confirmed,
NEW YORK, Jan. 20 R.-The
American steamship Nantucket Chief
was captured by insurgent war ves-
sels as it attempted to deliver its
second cargo Of gasoline to the Span
4sh government, Daniel w. Armstrong
vice president Of the Eastern State
Petroleum Co., said today.
Armstrong said the ship was owned
by the Nantucket Chief Steamship
Co., in which his concern held "only
. certain interest" Its crew of IS is
American.
He said the ship left Port Arthur
Tex, November %, landed its cargo
OF Barcelona and went to Batum
(U. 8. s. r., on the Black Sea, where
more gasoline was loaded.
Armstrong said that on its voyage
back to Barcelona with $4,000 barrels
OF gasoline it was apprehended by the
insurgent craft. He said he was un-
determined as to what action, il any,
he would ask from the United States
Government.