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Show FLOWER OF TEUTON MERCHANT MARINE TAKEN BY U. S. MEN By International News Service. NEW YORK. April 6. Acting under orders from Washington immediately after the house of representatives adopted adopt-ed the war resolution, offirials of the treasury department took over ail German vessels war-bound in ports of the United States today. Twenty-three other vessels lying in Philippine ports were seized February 5, after diplomatic relations with Germany were broken. The vessels were taken over as a matter mat-ter of safety for the vessels themselves and adjoining property. It is said that steps will be taken at once to repair the machinery damaged by the crews and put the vessels in a seaworthy condition. The machinery of most of the vessels was disabled when diplomatic relations with Germany were broken. Austrian vessels lying in this por, as well as A ustrian vessels war-bound in other ports, were not interfered with, as the United States still maintains friendly i clarions with the dual monarchy. Regular troops of the Twenty-second infantry from Governor's island, assisted by customs inspectors, officials of the iru-misration iru-misration service and New York and Hp-boken Hp-boken police, wpre used in the work of taking 1 lie crews from the twenty-seven vessels in this port. The crews of the liners were removed to Ellis island under escort of a detachment detach-ment of tiie Twenty-second in fan try commanded com-manded by Captain R. V. Yenable. Offer No Resistance. No resistanc 'vss o-Tred by any nf th1 Gi'mnn crews. Some of the men were do win-as t and plum, whj-Je others accepted their fate cheerfully and joked with their guards. Several officers and men proffered United States citizens-hip papers and urM that they should be allowed their freedom, but these were told they must ac-ompanv their comrades com-rades to fhe detention prison on Ellis island, where their ritrht.s will bp adjudged ad-judged by the official of the Immigration stykc. Simultaneously representative- of the tr?as-Ui-y depart mnt. assisted by troops of the regular or national cuard. took three German ships at ilakimnre. one at Newport Neup. four at Norfolk, two at Philadelphia, one at New London, five at I Boston, one at Jacksonville, two at New Orleans, one at Savannah, two at Wil- ! mington, N. C, and two at Pensacola, .Florida. The most important German vessels were taken at this port. The 3" aggregate 275. 45S tons, more than half the tonnage uf the entire rleet. and include the Vaterland, Vater-land, one of the biggest passenger vessels ves-sels in the world; the George Wasnmg-ton, Wasnmg-ton, the President Grant, trie Presiuent Lincoln, the Kaiser Vilnlm II, and six o there of more than 109,000 tons. All of the vessels taken here are steamers steam-ers with the exception of the bark lndra of 1765 tons. The taking of the vessels in this port was conducted with expedition and cri-Iciency. cri-Iciency. All plans had been laid niciis in advance. Dudley Field Malone, collector of the port, went to Hoboken in a military automobile, au-tomobile, - accompanied by Captain Charles Roselle, senior officer of the Twenty-second infantry engaged in the operations. Besides the soldiers, he had the services of three revenue cutters anchored off Hoboken docks. The soldiers sol-diers were stationed on and aOQt the piers. The only representative of the army who boarded any of the. vessels was Captain Roselle. All of the work of searching the vessels arxff mustering tiie German crews was performed by customs men. The German crews were instructed to pack up their belongings and leave them in a designated place. Then they were marched off to the vessels waiting to transport them to Ellis island. Their personal effects and baggage, for the .most part packed in canvas bags, was Inspected as rapidly as possible by customs men and later sent after them to Ellis island. The captains of the vessels remained on board after their crews had departed and were taken later to the office of the pier superintendent. It was not stated what, disposition would be made of them. On those ships which had steam up the fires were drawn by the regular engine en-gine room forces. The captains turned over the ships' papers to Mr. Majone. Every man on leaving was searched for weapons, but none was found, nor was anything of a suspicious nature found in their baggage, it was said. The presence of a number of women on board wives of officers una stewardessespresented steward-essespresented an unexpected ditrk-ulty. Mr. Malone telegraphed to Washington for instructions about t hem. The ordf r to ta ke the men to Ellis island brought tars from these women, but that was th only demonstration. After the German crews had been removed re-moved and customs men placed in charge of each vessel, Mr. Malone announced that he had take n control of the liners, rather than seized them. As each of the captains stepped on the pier, he was escorted by soldiers to Mr. .Malone, who announced: "In the name of I'le United States government. gov-ernment. I taJ:e" possession of this ship." (Mentioning it bv name.) An official statement issued tonight stated that a total of 1215 German officer , and seamen had heen received at Ellis island dnrinc the day. nrnmodnre Hans FUist of the Vaterland. Vater-land. as ranking offieer of -tho ficc-r of German merchantmen, was assigned a snct-ial a pa rtment. t he room oner- occupied occu-pied hy Cipriano Castro, former president of Venezuela, during his stay on I he island. Toe other commanders were rpjarfered in small dormitories, while the seamen were I o deed in t fie big assembly roo-ns used bv immicran's. Tiie l-iaggage of the im prisoner n-.eri. numbering more than 4"'0- pieif.--. wa? subjected to close scrutiny by customs officers. of-ficers. To Withdraw Warships. WASHINGTON. April ;.- Allied warship. war-ship. patrolling the Atlantic coast will be -.Mii'drawn and many will be reu to the European buttle fleets now that German Ger-man merchant ships in American port.--have been taken over nnd there is no possibility of their slippinc to sa as commerce com-merce raiders. Their places probably wii! be taken by American naval vessels. |