Evening star., 1941-04-01

BACKGROUND
Government moved stOittly oDer
meek end to take PROTECTIVE Gus
tody of 28 italian, German and
80 Danish ships tied up in Amer
tcdn ports after learning OF sabo-
tdge aboard italian UeSSels by
their cretUs. Such action 1DdS nu-
thorised in emergency by 1917
Espionage Act, 1Uith subotaged
Uessels liable to forfeiture to
United States.
Fires broke out on German
and Italian merchant ships in
two South American ports to-
day as another Latin American
country, following the lead of
the United States, was reported
to have taken over axis ships.
Two German merchantmen
were set afire and their seacocks
opened by their crews early to-
day in the harbor of Callao,
Peru, after their attempt to leave
port had been thwarted by a
Peruvian cruiser, the Associated
Press reported.
At, Puerto Cabello, Venezuela,
fires broke out simultaneously
early today on three Italian and
one German ship, and hours later
the conflagrations were still un-
controlled.
In Mexico City a responsible
source at the Mexican Navy Min
istry said orders had been issued
to marines and customs guards at
Vera Cruz and Tampico to place II
German and Italian ships in pro
tective custody"
Cuba Seizes Italian Ship.
Mexico's action followed that of
Cuba last night in instructing the
Cuban Navy to take custody of the
italian merchant ship Recca, which
has been refuged in Havana Harbor
since Italy entered the war.
Peruvian troops last night occu-
pied the workshop and hangar of
Lufthansa German airline) at
Limatambo Airport. There are two
Junkers airliners at the hangar.
An official version of the move was
still lacking, but it was learned today
that just before midnight police and
troops moved into the hangar and
workshop, meeting no resistance,
end ordered every one else of the
property.
This morning troops were on guard
and turned back all visitors.
One high source said the Peruvian
government had ordered the occupa-
ton to prevent departure OF plane
which was to have taken of today
on regular run.
Transportation circles in New
York heard that Peru had prohibited
operations of the German airline.
Whether the suspension was tenn
porary or permanent was not known.
The line Is affiliated with three
other airlines in South America.
Tried to Leave Harbor.
The two German merchantmen
set afire at Callao were the Leipzig,
b,s98 tons, and the Monserrate, 5,578
tons. They tried to leave the harbor
shortly before last night some hours
after two other Nazi merchantmen
sailed without papers.
Ths Peruvian cruiser Coronel
Bolognesi, however, stopped them
by firing five warning shots, and
they returned to port, where they
were set aflre.
The ships which sped away from
the harbor after nightfall last night
with lights doused were the 5,619-
ton Muenchen and the 4,833-ton
Hermonthis.
With the Leipzig and the Monser-
rate, they had been at Callao since
the outbreak of the war.
The Leipzig and Monserrate only
recently were loaded with 1000 tons
and 1900 tons, respectively, of cotton
bought by a Japanese commercial
mission.
The vessels burning at Puerto
Cabello are the Jole Fassio, 5,169
tons; the Teresa Odero, 8,196 tons,
and the Trottiera, 6,205 tons, all
tankers, and the German passenger
and freight vessel Sesostris, 3,987
tons.
The fires caused great alarm In
the city and crowds gathered at
the docks. Crewmen threw them
selves into the sea to escape and
were picked up by launches. The
fires were discovered about l am.
and were still raging at 10:30 am.
The director of the Venezuelan
War Ministry's Marine Bureau per-
sonally investigated the fires, and
officials said there were reports that
crewmen sabotaged the ships on Or
ders of their superiors.
Mexican Action Forecast.
Mexico's reported action in taking
over the 12 axis vessels was fore
cast last night, when it was said
that armed naval detachments
would take control of the vessels
rs an act of continental defense
and of solidarity with the United
States.
Navy and foreign Office officials
at Mexico City said they feared the
action of the United States in TAX
ing over axis vessels Sunday had
augmented the danger that vessels
in Mexican ports might be sabo-
tagged by their crews or might at
tempt to put to sea.
The Mexican gunboat Queretaro,
which has been patrolling the Gulf
of Mexico, was reported steaming
toward Tampico with 100 marines to
board the nine italian ships and
one German there. The Queretaro