The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-10-26
Yankee Crew Is Safe
Aboard Seized Vessel
CONTINUED from Page u

vessel last week. The Nazis placed
. prize crew aboard the ship and
sailed her into Tromsoe, Norway, and
then to Murmansk.
Questions Unanswered
These major questions went un-
answered in the mystery surround
ing the Flint's capture and deten-
tion in the neutral Russian port:
/. What is the Russian attitude
toward the alleged contraband car
60 being carried by the City OF
Flint to England? The Soviet gov
eminent early today refused to
recognize the validity of Great Bril-
tain's war contraband list, which
Is almost identical with the German
list allegedly violated by the City OF
Flint. In this connection, Tass, Of
fetal Soviet News Agency, in an
nouncing that internment OF the
German prize crew had been can
celled, added that the ship "for the
time being E. remains at Muir
mansk for precise verification as
to the composition of her Cargo"
2. What was the cause and eX-
tent of the damage to the City OF
Flint's machinery, which reportedly
made it necessary for her to put into
the neutral ports of Tromsoe ana
Murmansk? Tass said the prize
crew of 10 was released only after
the machinery damage was given as
the cause for entering Murmansk
with a war prize. In Berlin, how
ever, semi-official sources said the
ship was taken to Russian port
because the German crew lacked
charters of the German mine fields
guarding Nazi ports.
8. If the City of Flint was I'M
seaworthy, as the Tass report OF
machinery damage indicated, why
were the repairs not made in from
soc instead of sailing the vessel to
Murmansk?
4. How were Captain Joseph L..
Gainard and his American crew
treated by the Nazi captors?
In Berlin, q highly-placed Will
helmstrasse source said early today
that the German government prob
ably would provide further details"
today concerning the City Of Flint
case.
Germany To Get Ship
Berlin. October 26. CUP - Ger
man and Russian spokesman, in
statements here and at Moscow, in
dicated today that Germany and
Russia had agreed that Germany
should have the captured American
steamship, City of Flint, which a
German prize ere wsailed to the
neutral Russian port of Murmansk.
The position hadNbeen taken, &C
cording to the intimations, that the
City of Flint was German prize,
that 1t was sailed to Murmansk by a
German prize crew called to the
ginss were damaged, and that it
would be permitted to leave in charge
of the Germans after necessary
repairs"
It was indicated that, though the
Germans had been freed from in
ternment. the American crew of the
City of Flint were still prisoners
aboard 1t while the Russians "veri-
fed the contents of its cargo"
The Nazi spokesman said that 1t
was assumed" that the City of
Flint case could be considered as
settled and that when it was again
''seaworthy" it probably would leave
Murmansk with its prize crew in
charge.
Not For United tates
Asked what the City of Flint's
destination would be the spokesman
said:
Surely not the United States"
The spokesman argued that under
the Hague convention, prize ship
might be taken to neutral port If
It was "unseaworthy" and could re-
main in port until it had been de-
clared "seaworthy." Therefore, he
said, Russia would decide whether,
after necessary repairs" the City
Of Flint was again seaworthy.
Russia acted correctly under In
ternational law the spokesman said,
in releasing the Nazi prize crew.
He said he did not know the
whereabouts o. the American sea-
men but assumed" they were all
right and in good health.
Germany was keeping the Ameri-
can embassy here informed of "the