Evening star., 1939-12-20
Capt. Langsdorff Kills Himself
In Sorrow for Fate Of Graf Spec;
Columbus Sunk in Safety Zone
U. S. Studies Case
For Act of War
In Neutral Area
BY the Associated Press.


State Department officials dis
closed today that the German liner
Columbus was scuttled almost $50
miles inside Americas neutrality
zone. Immediately they began a
study to determine whether this
meant that an act of war had oc-
CURED within the zone.
First information yesterday from
Stephen Early, White House press
secretary. was that the scuttling
had taken place when a British man
of war had come upon the big liner
outside the zone. But later ex-
pert calculation of the ships posi-
ton given by the United States
cruiser Tuscaloosa showed the Co.
lumbus sank nearly $50 miles inside
the zone, on a line due east of
Washington.
This gives the American nations
which fixed the limits of the zone at
the Panama Conference last fall
their second problem of a possible
violation. the first being the British
Graf Spec battle off the coast of
Uruguay last week which, like the
Columbus incident, resulted in the
sinking of the German vessel in
volved
Extends Hundreds of Miles.
In connection with the neutrality
zone limits officials explained that
at some points it extends several
hundred miles.
On the basis of the complete re-
ports, it was said the Columbus sank
400 miles off the Atlantic Coast.
A State Department official said
he was uncertain whether the scut-
ting OF the Columbus was an act of
war. He indicated that informatio
thus far received did not show that
the British destroyer had shelled
the vessel. All information was to
the effect that the German crew
had sunk its own vessel.
Another angle under study arose
from the belief in official quarters
here that the Columbus was over
hauled on the travelled ship
ping lane between Buenos Aires and
Rio de Janeiro and New York.
OfflcialS have been inclined to re-
gard with greater concern belliger-
ent acts occurring on shipping lanes
than acts occurring elsewhere. even
though inside the neutrality zone.
Arauca May Stay Years.
The statement Of Capt. Frederick
Stengler of the German freighter
Arauca At Port Everglades Harbor,
Fla. that his ship might remain
there 'for two or three years" met
with no opposition from officials
The freighter was chased into the
harbor yesterday by a British war
ship.
One official pointed out that a
belligerent merchantmen, if not Of
fensively armed, could remain in
definitely in an American port with
out being interned unless for some
reason its presence should become
obnoxious to local authorities.
Capt. Stengler said a warning shot
was fired across the bow of the
Arauca when his ship was within
United States territorial waters.
The Arauca left Vera Cruz last
Thursday shortly before the colum-
bus sailed openly for Europe laden
with oil and with enough food for a
50-day voyage.
Secretary of State Hull said at
his press conference this afternoon
that he did not have sufficient in
formation about the Florida ship
incident yet to decide whether or
not it involved violation of the Pam
American neutrality zone. He said
the appropriate Government agencies
are trying to ascertain the full
facts as to just what occurred be-
fore the German freighter sought
refuge in a Florida port.
Steps being taken by the American
republics under the declaration set
ting out the neutrality zone around
the Americas will be designed to
bring a showdown on the whole
question of observance of the neu-
trality zone by the European bellig-
erents, Mr.. Hull indicated. Consul
tations are going on among the
American governments as a result
of the German-British naval battle
off the coast of Uruguay last week
759 Rescued From Columbus.
The 10,OOO-ton Tuscaloosa, or
neutrality patrol, came on the
laundering 32,00O-ton Columbus late
yesterday and rescued 579 crew
members and officers. These the
Tuscaloosa was taking to Ellis Island
today
The blazing hulk of the one time
queen of the German merchant fleet
(See COLUMBUS, Page A-4D