Evening star., 1941-04-02

Peru Acts 10 Take
Funds Of Two Nazi
Ship Companies
Deposits Of Owners Of
Two Escaped Vessels
Ordered Attached
Bv the Associated Press.

Ordered Attached
Bv the Associated Press.
The Peruvian government acted
today to take over German funds in
Peruvian banks as Latin America
counted a total Of II axis ships
seized, II burned or scuttled and 2
escaped since the week end seizure
of German, italian and Danish ships
by the United States.
The national prosecutor of Peru
today ordered attachment of bank
deposits of the North German Lloyd
and Kosmos Navigation Co.'S, own
ers of two Nazi ships which escaped
from Callao yesterday and of two
others which were scuttled in that
port.
He also ordered the attachment
of funds of local agents for both
companies and of LufthanSa, the
German air line, whose air base was
taken over yesterday by troops.
Failed to Overtake Ships.
Peru dispatched warships and
planes ITO miles to sea in an un-
successful effort to overtake the two
German ships which fled without
sailing papers, and used cruiser
to prevent the escape of two others
which later were fired by their
crews.
Venezuela. in whose ports four
axis ships were destroyed by fires,
announced intention of addressing
itself to the governments of Ger
many and italy in the terms made
necessary by the gravity of the in
cident." Armed guards prevented
the firing of three other vessels,
which were then taken over.
Costa Rica talked of confiscating
Nazi funds in the country to COM
pensate for the scuttling of two
axis merchantmen in Puntarenas
Monday.
Mexico used naval detachments
to take possession of II axis YES
sells. but the crew of the twelfth
an italian ship-wss able to scuttle
her before the boarding party ar
rived.
The record of the day led an
Argentine spokesman to assert that
his government might take precau-
tions to prevent similar sabotage.
The 1,120-ton German steamship
Cerigo, anchored in the middle of
Ecuador's Guayas River, burst into
flames yesterday when Ecuadorean
forcec approached her.
The Ecuadorean government to-
day announced that it had no in
tention of taking over the Cerigo.
The announcement said Guayaquil
port authorities merely had sent
a detail to the Cerigo to inform her
skipper to move from his anchor
age III the middle of the Guayas
River so that 'in the future If any
accidents happened to the ship
she would not halt normal river
traffic.
Previous advices from Guayaquil
said the Ecuadoreans were sent to
seize the ship. After the fire broke
out members of the crew, including
Capt. Paul Haller, were arrested
and held aboard an Ecuadorean
tug.
The Netherlands steamer Draco
was anchored half mile from the
burning Cerigo and 10000 persons
crowded the wharves to watch FIRE
men attempt to extinguish the blaze.
Scuttling' at Tampico. h
The scuttling of the italian ship
in Mexican waters occurred at
Tampico.
The crew of the 2,005-ton tanker
Atlas not only succeeded in opening
the seacocks at the approach of
the boarding party but defied Mexl-
can appeals to come ashore as their
ship settled slowly in the Panuco
River.
The would-be Mexican rescuers
discounted their stand as bravado
and expected the scuttlers eventual
ly would come ashore or be taken
off.
The Navy Ministry in Mexico City
promptly ordered that the crews of
all the II other axis ships at Tam
pico and at Veracruz be removed and
placed in custody at once. The or
der was issued. the ministry said,
as a direct result of the scuttling of
the Atlas. The crews total 600 men
and officers.
The navy announced that it has
taken the necessary measures to
salvage the sunken ship" and that
it was proceeding to establish re-
sponsibility for the sinking.
Duty Fulfilled, Captain Says.
The tanker's captain, Lelio Sazzi,
explained his action thus:
Il have fulfilled my duty and the
instructions from my government
not to let the ship fall into foreign
hands, possibly English"
In Mexico City, where the Navy
Ministry said the seizures were le-
gal and an act of solidarity with
the United States, the Italian Min
lister, Count Alberto Marchetti, said
he would protest the action formally
at the Foreign Office today.
A German Legation spokesman
said the German Minister, Rudt Won
Collemberg, was "out of tine city"
but added that the Legation was
aware of the Mexican occupation
of Nazi ships.
In all, COS crewmen, whose dis