Evening star., 1941-02-23
Misuse OF u. 5. FIad
Charged by Nazis in'
British Ship Sinking
Reich Spokesman Tells
America to Act to Save
It's Freedom of the Seas
b. the Associated Press.

b. the Associated Press.
BERLIN, Feb. 22.-The German
high command said today an armed
British merchant ship out of Canada,
with her belligerent identity hid
den under United States colors, had
been sunk by Nazi naval forces in
the Indian Ocean.
Authorized spokesman stressed tha
implication of what they called mis-
use" of the American flag and said
it should be Of gravest concern to
Washington.
The question arises" one author
lied source said, whether the Brit
iSh are inspiring such flag swindIng
IN the hope there will be an oppor-
tunity for developments between
Germany and some neutral country"
L. ). COlOrs on Hull.
The German communique made
only the bare statement:
In the Indian Ocean. naval forces
sank an armed British merchant
man, a Canadian cruiser Of 7l78
tons. The steamer, to conceal its
nationality, showed a United States
flag and had American colors
painted on its hull"
Since the war began. all United
States ships on the high seas have
displayed large flags painted on
their sides.
IF the example of the Canadian
cruiser can be taken as an indi-
cation of the general trend" a Ger
man spokesman said, at behooves
America to see to it that British
armed merchant ships. through
misuse of the CAmerican) flag, do
not endanger Americans freedom
Of the seas"
Authorized sources voiced sus-
picion that "an unfortunate mis-
take was exactly what Britain
hoped for" in the alleged camou-
fage Of the Canadian cruiser.
which sailed out of Halifax and is
registered in Lloyds as owned by
the Canadian Tramp Shipping Co.,
Ltd.
Fear Unfortunate Incident
If every ship with an American
flag must be suspected by Nazi
sea raiders as being British, a
most unfortunate incident might
occur" it was said.
The German press also PLAYED up
the reported sinking as q danger
signal for America and as a sign
Of British weakness.
Undersea attack reappeared to-
day in German accounts of sea
warfare with the report that sub
marine had sunk a 4,395-ton mer-
chantman.
German planes also were said to
have sunk a 4,0OO-ton steamer in
raids of the English east and west
coasts Friday, damaged two larger
tankers and several other ships"
Both Washington and London were
silent on this charge of deceit on
the high seas which renews a series
OF accusations back and forth since
the night of Britain's entry into the
war, September 3, 1889.
On that night the British liner
Athena, crowded with refugees from
S4AO " a. Cd44A III J1lC 4NOI III AlldllL1Cs
en- route to America and the Ger
mans charged winston Churchill
with having ordered her sent to the
bottom to put the onus on Germany.
Canadian naval headquarters at
Ottawa disclaimed any knowledge
Of any Canadian or United States
ship having been sunk in the Indian
Ocean.
1T sounds screwy to me" said
one official. It's probably just an
other direct hit by a communicate"
The shoe was on the other foot in
another recent case of a German
raider III the Indian Ocean-possiblv
the same one to which the Canadian
cruiser is credited.
In that, the British charged that
a NazI surface vessel disguised her
self as japanese. not only by fving
japanese colors but also by taking
the japanese name Manyo Maru.