Evening star., 1942-08-26
$50 Passengers
0nGripsho|mGo
To Ellis Island
Federal Officials
Won't Comment; More
Questioning Seen
Es the Associated Press.

Es the Associated Press.
JERSEY CITY, Aug. 26.-Gov-
ernment officials announced to-
day that approximately $50 pas
sengers among the more than
400 repatriates aboard the dip
lomatic exchange liner Grips
holm had been taken to Ellis
Island for questioning.
While there was no official COM
ment on the reason for the move,
ostensibly 1t was because officials
had found the passengers unsatts-
factory or wished to question them
more intensively.
The United States immigration
service station is on Ellis Island, and
it is there that enemy alien hearings
are conducted. There was the pos
sibility that some might have been
transferred because of illness, since
there is also a Government hospital
on the island.
tSecretary of State Hull said at
press conference today that ef-
forts were being made to work
out arrangements for the Grips
holm to make another voyage to
bring back more Americans from
Japanese-held territory
Until last night approximately
300 passengers-including all OF
the American diplomats-had been
disembarked, but by 10 am. today
only four or five more persons had
left the ship, and customs officials
said it would take several more days
at least to clear all the passengers
who were brought here from the
Orient in exchange for Japanese and
Thai nationals in this country.
AS the big ship came up New
York Harbor yesterday carrying
American, Canadian and Latin
American diplomats, missionaries,
newspapermen and businessmen,
Federal investigators climbed aboard
from cutters to prevent any unde-
sirables from slipping into this coun-
try.
Although more than 1000 aboard
were American citizens from INTERN
ment camps and homes in Japan
and in Japanese dominated coun-
tries, they as we'll as others were
being questioned carefully and made
to prove their loyalty to the United
States before leaving ship.
A Government official said yester-
40 W hn ytrrA
would be transferred directly to Ellis
Island for further examination rath-
er than be held aboard, in order to
expedite clearance Of the vessel.
Check Lasts Till Midnight.
Yesterdays checkup lasted from
8 am. until midnight.
The sentiment of virtually all Of
the repatriates seemed to be summed
up in the statement Ambassador
Joseph G. Grew handed reporters as
he left the vessel:
ITO be actually standing on the
soil of our beloved country again
brings to us climax of happiness
too profound to describe in mere
words. I cannot even attempt to
do So"
Newspapermen aboard the ship
related how Ambassador Grew. in q
talk to children shortly before the
Gripsholm reached port, called their
attention to Abraham Lincoln's
words that "our Nation can not
continue half slave and half Free"
Then the Ambassador added:
franklin Roosevelt saw with
equal clarity and courage that in
this modern world the appli-
cation OF Lincoln's vision was no
longer Nationwide but worldwide,
and that our country could not con-
tinue in world half slave and half
free"
A picture OF extreme discourtesy
to diplomats in Toxic was given
by Edward S. Crocker, first secre1
tary of the Embassy, who declared
that ain the history OF civilization.
never have diplomats been treated
as We were"
Received War Declaration.
Mr.. Crocker was the man who re-
ceived the Japanese declaration Of
war at the Embassy in the absence
of Ambassador Grew. He had gone
there the morning of the attack on
Pearl Harbor to pick up a golfing
partner when he heard the news.
None of us believed It," he said.
Later the head of the second Sec
ton of the American Bureau of the
Japanese Foreign Ministry, Mr..
Ohno, delivered the message to him.
Mr.. Crocker told the Jap, This Is
a very tragic moment"
ut is indeed" he answered. my
duty Is most distasteful."
Mr.. Crocker said the morale of
the japanese was high and that
the only way they could be beaten
was to throw them out of the terri
tory they had occupied. ais
Regarding treatment accorded
personnel, Mr.. Crocker
said they were "incarceratedp in
the Embassy grounds and forced
20 rustic" for their own food, which
happily was made easier by Jap.
(see GRIPSHOLM, Page A-l6.J