The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-29
GERMAN LINER
 BREMEN HELD UP
Continued from Page D

zig gagged, that the delay had been caused by condenser trouble. He said no radio messages had been sent because static was bad"
 Captain William Brechsel, marine superintendent of North German Lloyd, said he had been informed that clearance papers were held up because of new ruling from Washington which affected only the ships of our company.
 O'Keefe said a precedent for "tn- specting" vessels of certain nations had been set by the Treasury De- partment during the CzechoSlovak crisis last year. The only ordinary reasons for withholding clearance papers are to examine ships sea worthiness, and the nature and des- ination of her cargo.
 Fourth Largest Ship
 The Bremen is the fourth largest ship afloat, the largest being the Normandie, Queen Mary and Beren- garia, in that order. She is of 51,731 tons; S98 feet, seven inches long; 10l feet, nine inches wide; 48 feet two inches, deep.
 She arrived in New York on her maiden voyage July 9, 1929, clip ping eight hours and 52 minutes off the transatlantic speed record then held by the Cunard White Star liner Mauretania. Her time from Cher bourg was four days, IT hours and 42 minutes. She beat that record on Octaber 9, 1883, and again on November 8, 1884, her fastest time being four days, 15 hours and 27 minutes.
 She has accommodations for 2,200 passengers and a crew of $50. She was built by Deschimag, A. c. Weser in Bremen, christened by the late President Won Hindenburg of Ger many before Adolf Hitler's access sion to power, and was a maritime sensation for years.
 Others Slip Away
 Two other German liners, the New York and the St. Louis, had slipped out of port the past two days, leav- ing cargo and passengers behind, in response to orders from Germany calling all merchantmen home at once.
 The Bremen arrived a few hours behind the giant French liner, Nor- mandie, whose 1,417 passengers were in state of high excitement, many believing that war had started. The Normandie's radio, too, had been silenced all the way and she had been darkened at night, the lights cut of fin some parts of the ship and shades drawn over portholes in the lighted sections. Passengers had received no news in the four and a half days crossing; they had been unable to send rediograms; they knew they had been carried north of the regular course because Satur- day they encountered extremely cold weather.
 All Radios Silenced
 Silencing of the ships radios pre- sumably was to kee ptheir positions secret. Position can be determined by taking cross-bearings of a ships radio beams.
 But Captain Etienne Payen De the Normandie's master, explained everything. The abusing of the lights was a practice black put" he said; the ship got north of the course because maybe the quar- termaster got 8 little careless at the helm; static interfered with the radio. But, he added, "passen- gers are very clever"
 Passengers also said that the Normandie had passed the Bremen 1t sea last Thursday and that both ships had quickly changed courses.
 The Bremen, if and when it gets away, was expected to join the fast growing list of German ships dis from the maritime lists. She could reach Bremerhaven in six days.
 American Ships Cautious
 Meanwhile, all American ships were avoiding German and Polish ports, on orders from Washington, and were rushing to British and French ports to pick up thousands )f Americans stranded in Europe oy the cancellation of regular serv- ce.
 The United States liner Manhat- an, carrying 800 cots to accommo- late extra passengers in public | 'oons, leaves Harve Thursday, stop ping at Southampton and Cobh en 'oute home, to pick up more Amer cans. The President Roosevelt ar- ives Sunday from England with a 'ecord passenger list of 535. The President Harding leaves here to- morrow for Europe carrying 150 cots, ,xtra lifeboats and rations.
 It was reported at Bayonne, N. J., hat the Panama Transport Com ,any, subsidiary of Standard Oil ,f New Jersey, had opened a hiring | office there to employ American | eamen, replacing Germans who were being dismissed from the com ,any's 29 tankers.
 The Treasury Department, in | holding up the Bremen, did not dis ,lose the reason but Gregory o'Keefe, assistant collector of the port, commented:
 "You've heard of privateering, you?"
 A privateer is an armed private vessel empowered by its government O prey on the commerce of an en- ,my. The United States, although not a signatory, has abided by an convention of 1856 a. privateers.
 Treasury Dept. Explains
 Washinpt0n Aup. 2Q-IJP)-Trea.