The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-06


 opinion of Norwegians, the Germans cannot do." The newspaper said Norways mercantile fleet of 4,600,- 900 tons was one of the best in the world and because by the revised neutrality bill America bans her merchant fleet from entering belligerent waters, the Norwegian fleet could do much to revive North Sea trade and relieve conditions in Britain. The London News Chronicle commented of Norway: Well done Norway has set splendid ex- ample of courage and independence to the neutral world"
 Norway Guards Waterfront
 Norwegian officials kept the water front tightly cordoned of, permit ting no one to approach the City of Flint without permission. Captain Gainard conferred with the Amer ican consulate yesterday and ex- changed cables with Washington. One of the engineers called down from the deck to newspapermen: we were at Murmansk five days and 1t was cold. The Russians paid no attention to us and gave us no protection. We were waiting for or- ders all the time. We heard we were going to get free, then we heard we were going to be taken to Germany. It was relief when we finally left, even If the Germans stil had us"
 Sailors standing along the rail wore light clothes in the chill air, but they seemed to be in good con- dition and were smoking, laughing, casting longing glances toward shore. Asked where they thought they would go next, one replied:
 Brother, your guess Is better than ours. We heard on the radio last night we were going to England. Then we heard on another program we were going straight to America. wish they'd make up their minds. We've been on this thing more than month"
 The ship sailed from New York October 3 for Britain, was intercept ed by the Deutschland October g, taken to Tromsoe, Norway where survivors of the British Freighter Stonegate, picked up by the City of Flint, were put ashore. Then the ship continued to Murmansk, left there October 28, returned to From soc and asked permission to go southward in Norwegian waters. In rejecting the German protest Nor- wegian officials said the ship had been permitted to follow this coun- try's coast line so long as 1t did not stop.
 At Haugesund, however, 1t stop ped, reported one of the Americans Abraham Sellars, was sick and asked for a doctor. A doctor went aboard from Olav Trygvason which was trailing the City of Flint, found that Sellars had only 8 slight leg bruise, and the ship was ordered to proceed. Reportedly, the German prize crew replied that 1t had been ordered by the Nazi government to remain at Haugesund. Thereupon the Norwegians arersted the Ger man prize crew and turned the ship back to Captain aGinard.
 Describes Capture
 Describing the capture by the Deutschland, Car Ellis, one of the City of Flint's officers, said: "The Germans took our arms. They di- vided themselves into two watches of four hours each. They slept where they found room but never turned us out of our hunks. The English men from the Stonegate were put tc work in the galleys. We did the same work as usual. The Germans turned almost straight north. They were nervous and kept close watch"
 Another American sailor said that Captain Gainard remained in tech- nical charge of the ship throughout although under direction of the Ger mans.
 In rejecting the German protest Norway said 1t had acted under the Hague convention of l907 It was also disclosed that Germany had asked that the City of Flint be held at Haugesund until German-Nor. wegian negotiations determined It's final disposition, but Norway had replied 1t was unable to do SO. Under the Hague convention, Norway haC no alternative to releasing the shir to the American crew, a communi. que said.
 Germans May Be Glad
 Political circles at Oslo speculatec on the possibility that the German! were glad to be relieved of the ship which they otherwise would have had to sail through the British blockade at the entrance to the Bal tic. It was also suggested that hae the ship reached a Germen port, 1 might have been found that ther, was little or no contraband aboart and the result would have been em barrassing to the Germans. It woulS also have been embarrassing t, have lost the prize to British war ships or to have been forced 10 sur render 1t to the Americans becaus of an inambility to get 1t to a Ger man port Hence, there were sugges tions that Norway had relieved tn | ~ ~H It. kA