Evening star., 1943-10-10
Gripsho|m Sails Again
To Exchange Japs for
Americans in Orient
BY FRANCES LONG,

NEW YORK, Oct. s.-The pow
erful 18,l34ton Swedish liner
Grlpshom, a ship known to thou
sands OF peacetime American tour
lists, has become a mercy ship
again after months of idleness at a
quiet anchorage in the Hudson
River.
Painted startling white with yel-
low and blue stripes along her
graceful sides, the "smokeless liner
quietly slipped out of the Hudson re-
GENTLY and sailed for the tiny port
of Mormugao in Portuguese India
She carried 1880 Japanese civilians
to exchange for an equal number
OF Americans.
She also carried large quantities of
relief supplies and medicines for
prisoners of war and civilians in
concentration camps in the Jap
daminated Far East.
To protect her from undersea
raiders, the word Diplomat" was
painted on her sides in huge let
tiers. She sails brightly lighted at
night.
1t had been long time between
voyages. Months were consumed in
negotiations between Washington
and Japan for this second exchange
OF prisoners. On the first mercy
trip the exchange took place in a
dlnerent place-Lorenzo Marques,
In Portuguese East Africa.
Three Ships on First Exchange.
Those of us who were among the
people exchanged on the first trip
OF the Gripsho!m can visualize cas-
lily 1he life aboard on the home
ward trip, the relief at getting out
OF japanese hands and once more
1eellng the sense of security that
we felt on our arrival.
Although on this repatria ton
there is only the Teia Maru leaving
the East with our people, there were
two ships on the first exchange. The
Asama Maru left from Kobe, Japan.
with approximately 1000 passengers
and 900 of us left from Shanghai on
the Conte Verde.
The day We left Shanghai. June
%, 1912, was sunny and clear. We
had to line up on the wharf and 20
through an inspection by the Japa-
nese. Our money was examined, our
passports and our vaccination and
cholera certificates. 1t was an Or
deal many of us had become used
TO during months in japanese con-
centratlon camps, where We had to
produce cholera certificates at the
least Whlm OF any soldier and line
up for hours to get our meager ra-
ton of food,
The Conte Verde recently scuttled
by her own crew to keep her from
the Germans after Italy capitulated.
mad large airy cabins. plenty of deck
space and a beautiful swimming
pool and sun deck The MANY
lounges and bars were beautifully
decorated and comfortable. To us,
1t looked like a delightful trip after
the dirt and insanitary conditions in
the concentration camps.
There was no band playing, no
streamers thrown, no waving bon
voyage, as We slipped out of the
river. We were silent as we watched
the shores of Shanghai slip away.
Bath Was Forbidden.
We discovered shortly that the
luxurious bathrooms afforded each
cabin were not much good. because
there was water shortage and none
of US was allowed to take a bath
The Italians opened the swimming
pool to accommodate us, but the
Japanese representative aboard soon
put stop to this. He decided we
were having too much fun.
The food however, was excellent.
especially to those of us who had
eaten nithing but rice and cracked
wheat for several months. Dancing
was not permitted and any pleasure
activities, such as bridge and music,
ceased abruptly at II pm And al
though the ship was well stocked
with wines, liquors and soft drinks.
the Italian stewards dared not sell
us any, because the stock was in
tended for the returning japanese.
The trip to Lorenzo Marques was
uneventful but we were not bored
DNShtSS w A1le q leIltl DIV llOl
seeing japanese soldiers everywhere.
For some time We couldn't grasp the
fact that we could talk freely. walk
around the decks without being
stopped by bayonet. Members of
the Italian crew were extremely
courteous and many of them sec
reilly gave us the w for Victory"
sign with their fingers.
We anchored off shore in Singa-
pore for one day to wait for the
Asama Baru. No shore leave was
permitted and all day hundreds of
Jap planes, the Rising Sun insignia
catching the sun, zoomed arounH
and around in the skies 1t was ap-
parently an exhibition to impress us.
Jap Crew Insolent.
Things were not so pleasant on
the ASama Maru. The japanese