Evening star., 1941-07-31
u. 5. Passengers Tell
OF Anxious Week on
japanese Liner
Some Aboard Totutu Moru
Considered Seizins
Lifebout to Row Ashore
BY the Associated Press.

between the United States and
Japan, N. Y. K. Line officials hurried
preparations today for departure of
their $15,OO0,000 liner Tatuta Maru,
which ventured into port yesterday
after cruising indecisively off the
California coast for seven days.
The huge motorship's 243 passen-
gers were shouting and singing as
she passed through the Golden Gate
and docked here. In her holds were
$2,500,0 900 worth of raw silk, 200
tons of tea and other goods, but no
move had been made to obtain per-
mission to discharge the cargo. 1t
likely will still be aboard when the
ship leaves for Japan, probably
about noon tomorrow.
Indicative of their anxiety to get
the liner out of American waters,
N. Y. K. officials decided to omit
scheduled stop at Los Angeles.
They hurriedly transported to San
Francisco ll6 japanese citizens who
had been waiting for the ship at
Los Angeles.
Passengers from the Tatuta had
many stories to tell Of the seven
tense days at sea during which they
did not know where they were going
or what would happen to them.
Some became so worried they even
considered communicating a life
boat to row ashore.
Their first intimation that some
thing unusual had occurred came
July 81 when passengers were in
formed that no wireless messages
could be sent. The same day the
radio went "out of order" and they
were kept in ignorance of world
events.
Last Thursday the ships engines
were stopped. Ships officers said
mechanical trouble had developed
and that arrival in San Francisco,
scheduled for that day, would be
delayed. Next day the engines were
started again and thereafter the
ship cruised erratically first east,
then west, sometimes driving ahead
at full speed, sometimes loafing
along with the propeller scarcely
turning.
Last Friday passengers finally
learned of Japan's move into Indo-
China. Saturday Capt T. Takahata
posted notice saying he did not
know whether the ship would go to
San Francisco at all.
All Were Well Cared For.
Passengers agreed they were we'll
cared for all the time. Food was
plentiful, although fresh vegetables
were not available the last few days.
Capt. Takahata praised the pas
sengers' conduct.
THE patience of our passengers
was a matter of deep personal
pleasure to me-" he said.
When the United States yester-
day granted the Tatuta Maru spe-
cial permission to discharge its pas
sengers the big ship was only 80
miles offshore. A few hours later
she nosed into her pier here. r
The first passenger down the
gangplank exclaimed fervently, MY
goodness, I can't wait to get of
this ship even if they did treat us
fine"
She was Mrs E. A. Sommer of
Berkeley. Calf, young evacuee
from Kobe, where her husband is in
the steel business.
Considered Selling Lifeboat.
Carroll Lunt, publisher of a mag
azine in Shanghai, said a number
of American citizens aboard the
! Tatuta became so worried during
the ships halt that they discussed
the advisability of communicating
a lifeboat and rowing to shore.
After all, suppose it was a
fantastic idea, but we had nearly
arrived at the stage of desperation, /"
Mr.. Lunt said. All day Thursday
we were cut off from the outside
world. We were denied the privi-
lege of listening to broadcasts, or
sending messages from the ship.
That notice was given a week ago
Tuesday. We heard rumors from all
sides.
There was talk that if war was
declared we would be returned to
Japan to probably be put In deten-
ton camps.
I'VE also heard reports the ship
might make a dash to Mexican
waters.
There was great mental strain"
Bride Helped Ease Strain.
Ariadne Tollefsen, 25, pretty wife
of member of the Shanghai City
Council, said she never played so
much bridge in her life as she did
while waiting for the liner to dock.
There was just nothing else to
do. OF course, there were dances
but that last few nights nobody
attended them. We just sat around
and played bridge. We were wor-
ried."
Mrs. Tollefsen and her husband
T. Tollefsen, boarded the Tatuta
Maru for a six-month vacation.
The Rev. r. F. Kepler, born in
China and long missionary there
said he was told there was engine
trouble aboard the Tatuta Maru last
Wednesday night, "but we were Ger.
tain it was diplomatic engine
trouble all the time.
They were working on the en-.
gines all right-we went down tc
see for sure, but we soon founc
there was nothing wrong with
them"
Cleric on Way to Richmond.
He is en- route to Richmond, Va.
to visit his wife and four children
who went there previously to stay
with Mrs. Kepler's mother.
Scattered reports from far-fune
Pacific Ports showed that variou.
other Japanese vessels were follow.
ing the Tatuta Maru's lead in put.
ting in to scheduled ports of call
From Honolulu came information
that the 16,975-ton liner Asama
Maru, one of the crack vessels oi
the Japanese Merchant Marine
. would reach Honolulu this after.
| noon