Evening star., 1943-05-15

war can be. Actually, Reginald
Moore is prisoner of war. A pris-
oner of war, If you please, of Ger
many, yet he carries British pass
port, walks unmolested through the
streets of London and serves drinks
to officers of all the Allied Nations.
At the same time that he is a pris-
oner Of war of Germany, he is try
ing to enlist in the British Navy.
But he can't despite the fact that he
is but 26 years Of age, in perfect
health and holds a naval ticket for
gunnery.
Reginald Moore's strange story
started back in November, 1910,
when he was steward on the S. S.
Rangitane that piled between New
Zealand, the Canal Zone and Lon
don. Three German armed raiders
overhauled the Rangitane when she
was not far out from New Zealand.
The raiders shelled her until she
was at the point Of sinking, then
boarded her and took her crew
aboard. For eight weeks, Mr.. Moore
and his shipmates lived in the hold
of the German raider.
800 Were Prisoners.
"They treated us worse than cat
tle," he said. 1--WE slept on straw.
ate a meager allowance of black
bread and rice, and had just enough
water to keep us alive during those
eight weeks. The raider overhauled
enough British ships to fill the hold
with more than 300 prisoners. We
could hear the action OF the guns as
the disguised ship attacked mer-
chant vessels without warning"
After two months of pirating on
the seas, the food and water supply
of the raider was nearly exhausted.
and the prisoners in the hold be-
came problem. Not only were they
taking rations needed by the Ger
man crew. but disease had set in
and threatened the personnel OF the
entire ship.
so the Germans decided to get
rid of u.s. Mr.. Moore continued.
They put in at near desert island
in the South Pacific and put us
ashore. But before they released
us they took our photographs.
thumbprints and any other marks
Of identification and made us sign
pledge that we would never take
up arms against Germany or her
allies in the present war If we did.
the penalty was to be death if
captured"
The British Army and Navy re-
spect that pledge by which the men
gained their freedom. Reginald
Moore can't go to war again. He
gave his word and Britain insists
that he keep it. although he is mag
niflcently fit and Britain is calling
up men well past middle age for
war work.
In telling me his story, Mr.. Moore
revealed how closely Japan was
working with Germany even in the
years before Pearl Harbor.
Flew japanese Flag.
The boat that shelled us and
captured us was German all through.
but it had Toxic mark printed on
its bow in japanese characters he
said. TT flew the Rising Sun flag
and it carried the Rising Sun en-
blem on its sides. 1t did all it's re-
fueling at Kobe. Occasionally it
would switch to its true character.
On these occasions a canvas was
lowered over the sides-a canvas
that bore the swastika. When I
read about the Germans that are
being captured in Tunisia, can't
help but hope they aren't being fed
too well. The Germans nearly
starved us, and selfshness, not CON-
passion, was the reason they put
us ashore"
There were only two or three
planters on the island they were
landed on Mr. Moore said, and while
the planters did the best they could
to help the sailors get food, it was
mainly a matter of foraging for
food. For weeks they lived off the
land, hunting yams, coconuts, pine
apples and what fish they could
catch.
Mr.. Moore wants one more shot
at the Germans. He is willing to
risk his life for the chance, but the
British government says no. He has
given his word and a mans word,
even to an enemy, must be binding.
Distributed by McNausht Syndicate, Incl
ca A..