Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-10-25
y. S. |ntercepts Soviet Tanker,
II Other Red Ships Turn Back
No Arms Found,
Navy Allows OiIer
Go On to Cuba
BY JERRY O'LEARY, Jr.
Star staff Writer

United States naval force today intercepted
Russian tanker on the Atlantic Ocean, but allowed
the vessel to proceed to Cuba through the United
States blockade after determining its only cargo was
petroleum
The Defense Department said the encounter be-
tween the Navy and Russian ship took place shortly
after am. (EDT).
The Pentagon would not disclose where the Red
tanker was intercepted or whether American board
ing parties searched the ship, although it was learned
elsewhere the ship was not boarded.
IL Ships Go Back
At least IL other Soviet vessels have turned back,
Assistant Secretary of Defense Arthur Sylvester Sad
apparently they might have been carrying offensive
materials President Kennedy has said would not be permitted
to reach Cuba
Mr. Sylvester would give no details of the inter-
cepton the position of the IL Soviet vessels which
changed course
Today inercepton exactly % hours after Presi-
dent Kennedys proclamation quarantinng the Castro dca
torship from further shipments of offensive weapons or
materials.
Hailed and Questioned
Washington informants said the tanker hailed by
the Navy ship questioned about its The tanker
captain said he carried only petroleum.
Since the tanker had left its Communist port long before
the blockade announced Monday, and there was no
evidence that tankers had been used to carry weap
ons these said the ship allowed to proceed
The Navys in not boarding the tanker the
nformants said aimed at getting across to Soviet
Premier Khrushchev that the United States was not IN
Cuban waters with chip its shoulder looking for fight
Viewed in this light the incident appeared to be a
significant part the current diplomatic interchange COM
parable in respects to Mr. decision not TO
force the issue by sending through the blockade vessels
certain to be stopped, turned back or sunk
The washington view was that both the turnahout OF
some Soviet ships the free passage of the tanker would
profound bearing intense efforts at the united
Nations and elsewhere to develop kind of formula to
pull the United Staes-Sovet conformation over Cuba back
from the edge of nuclear war.
Sylvester Statement
Mr. Syvesers statement issued to the press short
ly before noon, follows:
eft now appears that at least dozen Soviet vessels
have turned back presumably because according to the
best of our information they might have been carrying
offensive materials.
However the first Russian ship that proceeded through
the area paroled by naval forces was Soviet tanker
1t was ascertaned by United States naval vessel which
intercepted her that tanker had only petroleum aboard
"Snce petroleum presently included prohibited
material under President Kennedys proclamation setting
up quarantine the tanker allowed to proceed
The Navy satisfied itself that prohibited material
was aboard this particular ship This encounter took place
shortly after o'clock (EDT) this morning shall not De
able to enlarge on this gentlemen
The Pentagon announcement came after similar re-
port from Representative Van zand Republican OF Penn
ylvana who attended State Department regional brief
ing in New York for Congressman and governors OF IL
Northeastern States.
List of Material
Prohibitye material under the Kennedy quarantine
proclamation included surface tosurface MISSILES bomber
aircraft bombs osurface rockets and guided MISSILES
ronc equipment support operate these items and any
other classes material designated by the Secretary OF
Defense for carrying out the proclamation
To enforce the order Defense Secretary Mcnamara has
to all appropriate measures to prevent delivery OF
See QUARANTINE, Page A-4