Evening star., 1941-09-09
Torpedo Sinks u. S. Firms Ship;
Churchill Warns Nazis Will Turn
Atlantic Into One Vast War Zone
American AMONG
"a Feared Lost
Near Iceland
BY GARNETT ID. HORNER.

A freighter operated by an
American company under Pam
ANA register has been sunk in
the North Atlantic while carry
ing non military supplies to Ice
land, with the apparent loss of
"a members of the crew, includ-
ing one American citizen, the
State Department announced
today.
The announcement came close on
the heels of news of the sinking of
the American freighter Steel Sea-
farer in the Red Sea by bombs from
what British sources said was a
long range German air raider.
Disclosure of these two incidents,
following swiftly after the clash in
the North Atlantic between the
United States destroyer Greer and
German submarine, appeared to
plunge this country and the Axis
powers nearer a decisive showdown
on the issue of freedom of the seas.
Only Three Escape Sinking.
While all the 20-odd men Of the
Steel Seafarer's crew were saved and
landed today on the western coast
of the Gulf of Suez, the State De-
partment was informed that three
survivors of the vessel sunk near
Iceland had been rescued Saturday
and that the other "a members of
the crew were ''unreported and are
presumed lost"
The freighter, said by the three
survivors to have been sunk by a
torpedo on August IT, was the
steamer Sessa, one of the former
Danish vessels acquired by the
Maritime Commission under the
recent law permitting the taking
over of idle foreign f1agships in
American waters.
State Department officials said
the vessel was being operated under
Panama registry by private Amer
lean shipping company with head
quarters in New York.
The sinking occurred about 300
miles southwest of Iceland.
Text OF announcement.
The State Department announce
ment on the torpedoed ex-Danish
ship said:
The State Department has been
informed by the Navy Department
that on Saturday morning, Septem-
Der 6, the Navy picked up three
surviving members of the crew of
the S. S. Sessa about 300 miles
southwest of Iceland.
The State Department is in
formed that the survivors stated
that the ship had been sunk by
torpedo on August II. Twenty-four
members of the crew are unreported
and presumed lost,
There was one American citizen
member Of the crew. His name Is
lacking and he is not one of the
survivors.
The names of the three survivors
have not been furnished.
g THE Sessa was a former Danish
vessel which was acquired from the
Danish government under the au-
thority of the recent law permitting
the taking over of idle foreign flag
ships in American waters.
"The vessel was under Pana-
manian registry and was transport
ing supplies for the government of
Iceland and owned by that govern
ment.
. (Off1cials explained this meant
the supplies were owned by the
Iceland governmentD
The cargo consisted of foodstuffs,
cereals. lumber and other general
cargo and did not include arms, am
nunition or implements of war"
Hull Awaits More Data.
At a press conference soon after
the sinking of the Sessa was an
nounced, Secretary of State Hull
said he thought there was no uues-
ton about the nationality of the
author of the attack on the vessel,
but that this was one of several
matters which he did not want to
discuss until he obtained fuller in
formation.
The Secretary declined to discuss
for the time being what effect the
sinking of the Sessa and the Steel
Seafarer might have on this Gov
ernment's actions in upholding it's
. doctrine of freedom of the seas.
: Mr.. Hull said he understood that
the Sessa was to have been trans
-ferred from the Panamanian to the
United States flag but that the
transfer had not taken place before
the ship sailed.
According to the Maritime Com
mission, the Sessa was operated by
the Marine Operating Co. of New
York. 1t left New York August 7
and was due in Iceland about II
days later. 1t was a freighter of
1.700 gross tons. Most of the vessels
crew members were believed to have
been Danish, with several other
nationalities represented.
Navy Refuses Comment.
The Navy Department refused to
comment on the sinking of the
steamship Sessa and said it had
nothing to add to the State De-
partment's announcement.
The Navy also refused to state
what its attitude would be on search
ing for a submarine that sank a
ship under another registry than
that of the United States.
Last week, following the Greer
= incident, President Roosevelt said
the Navy was searching for the sub
marine that had fired torpedoes at
(See FREIGHTER, Page A-.D