The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-03-31
Sixty Nazi, Italian, Danish
Vessels Taken Over by u. S.
Protest by
Axis Powers
Expected
Act of War SAYS
Master of One
of Ships

J ne tlshiu]us htitna OF tHf HftNA
states In taAiag over sixty
German. Italian aad Danish
merchantmen in American ports =
was expected today 90 develop ia
to a h-mlsphcre-WI1e move To
thWart She departure of rahofaso
OF Ions Idle Aka vessels
That q violent AaH protest
would Boz forthcoming was takcn
for granted jn Informed quartcrs.
and the belief was that The dru-
matte events ~ The week Tnd had
brought relations between the
uuitod states aud Che Ass powers
close ta an open rupture
German and Italian authorities
here maiuainsI a stony silence
peudin- Instructions from th1
f1rctsu 0ffg r. bot the master ~
ono Italian ship called the step
an act OF war.
In an. some 100000 tous Of
shipping pcrc taken iuto pfoit,-
tive federal custody by the coast
guard in rapidtrc series OF
operations from New Engiaad 20
the gult coast and The Pacific
northwest There were tro Ger
man ships. 28 Italian and moro
than 80 OF Danish registry.
Twenty ssbotaurd
Twenty ~ the Italian ships. Of
ficlals said. had been put COM
-p+atalv- out % Aualacs- and Can
tain Ranise Erncsto Of the tai
ian freighter MonsiOia taken over
at Galveston. Texas said he had
received orders from the Italian
naval attache at Washington 10
destroy the machinery Of his ship.
Informed OF this statement, thu
naval attache refused 10 discuss
the subject. The masters o. some
other Italian vessels, however.
manifested no surprise when the
coast guard details came aboard.
as IL they had been expecting
iuSl such . visitation
May Follow
Officials here were OF the opln-
ion that there was good ground
for the belief that other hemls-
phere nations would follow the eK'
ample OF the United states IN
/ taking over the AXIS shipping
which has used their harbors a 3
sanctuaries since the start OF the
war.
II was pointed out that other
hemisphere countries long have
been considering steps to get con-
troll OF such idle tonnage
Chile took the lead in mid-Feb-
ruary by Selling three Danish
cargo ships Other American
countries have indicated dis
position to take similar action but
were believed 10 have waited on
a decision by the United States.
Germany has about 40 ships IN
Latin American ports, and ltaiy
considerably fewer.
The government here vas be-
lieyed TO have acted primarily be-
cause Of the reported discovery
OF sabotage but the decision may
also have been influenced by the
indications OF concerted Ger
manhattan attempt 10 get as
many Axis ships as possible out
Of hemisphere ports.
Some AXIS ships put out 10 sea
from South American ports dur
Ing the week end 10 try 70 break
through the British blockaue. and
others apparently were getting
ready to depart.
II WIS trre ffsCUvPry Of syEtcrida
tic sabotage az reported by the
Nays intelligence seryice-that
started the swift march OF week
end events
The freIghCer NIuaperosa,
anchored these many months a.
Wilmington. y. C.. was the ship
HAT touched or the surprising
train Of events. % was learned.
On SATURDAY. Naval officials de-
cidA4 thai B. was mors desirable
I 10 have her moored some distance
I'D the river from her anchorage.
When they boardsd her. they
found her machinery completely
dlsmau.led
Acting promlby upon this dis
covery. the NayF Intelligence
found other evidence when
strengthened tho suspicion that
vii, srtead systematic sabotage
was In progress u was said.
The Information was laid AZ once
before PRECEDENT Roosevelt. aud
10 was with his approval that ths
coast guard got its orders for the
abrupt and surprising rush Of
activity which put the AXIS and
Danish shipping iu federal Gus
tOdF
The government acted under a
world war antl-sabotage statute
which authorizes the coast guard
10 assume custody OF foreign
ships and remove their crews
when 2 captain permits wiliful
damage 20 the vessel This law
also pro, dos that any ship That
actually has been sabotageI may
be- declared forfeited 70 The uni-
ted States