Hew York Times. Oct. 26. 1939 J Washington Gets Word of Seamen After Being Irked by Lack of Data Fears Moscow and Berlin Are Playing for JPfme to Enable Germans to Claim Title to City of Flint'on a Technicality By FRANK I*. HXCCKHOHN Special to m Nsw Tour Tnirs. WASHINGTON. Oct. 25—The Soviet and German Governments appeared to be putting off the United States Government today with regard to Information about the American-flag merchant ship City of Flint, which reportedly ar- rived at the Russian port of Mur- mansk Monday after having been seized by a German raider on the high seas and escorted there by a Nazi prize crew. (Ambassador Steinhardt report- ed to the State Department last night that the Foreign Office In Moscow had assured him the American officers and crew of the City of Flint were safe aboard the vessel at Murmansk, The As- sociated Press announced.] Despite the fact that the Soviet press conference, but stressed that he was waiting for full reports be- fore taking final action. M The Secretary of State said that earnest requests had been made at Berlin, Moscow and Oslo for infor- mation with a view to following the case through but that, thus far, a tangible set of facts had not been obtained. S. Mr. Hull- was asked whether Ad- I mini Erich Raeder. head of the German Navy, was not being a little slower about giving information to this country about the City of Flint than he was about the Iroquois. He replied that he could not speak for Admiral Raeder, who some weeks ago transmitted to the United States Government alleged informa- tion that the Iroquois, an American passenger ship returning with refu- gees, might be' sunk In the same manner as the Athcnla. Again today Mr. Hull expressed his anxiety to get in touch with the listed; detained Sept. 20, re- leased Sept. 90. Patrick Henry—Lykes Brothers Steamship Company; detained Oct. 10, released Oct. 22. Oakman—Lykes Brothers Steam- ship' Company; detained Oct. 13 to date. Cranford—Lykes Brothers Steam- ship Company; detained Oct. 17, released Oct. 21. Black Eagle—Black Diamond Line; detained; details not known. Lehigh—United States Maritime Commission; detained Sept. 5, re- leased Sept. 7.^ Warrior — waterman Steamship Corporation'; -''detained Sept.' 7; cargo of phosphate requisitioned. FRANCE Executive—American Export Line; cargo unlisted; detained Casa- blanca, Morocco, Sept. 27 on orders from Paris because of na- ture of cargo; released Sept. 20 on condition vessel proceed to Blzerte. Tunisia Exochorda—American Export Line; at Marseille; two seamen .(Ger- man nationality) removed, Sept. 6. Nashaba—Lykes Brothers Steam- ship Company, detaained Oct. 14; released Oct. 25. West Hobomac—Lykes Brothers Steamship Company;* '.detained Oct. 18; released Oct. 25. City of Jollet - Lykes Brothers Foreign Office has access to Mur- Flint's American crew. A report to mansk by telephone. United States | the department gave a hint, how- Ambassador Laurence A. Stein-1 ever, that the crew was still aboard h,rdt ™ awe .0 ».t no furth.r j ^gS^SSSSSA&S^ details from Russian officials, of the status of the ship or the where- abouts of the American crew of In Berlin, Alexander United States Charge could get no official eating that this was the case. The( Norwegian Government told the American Legation in Oslo that forty-one. In Berlin, Alexander about ninety persons were aboard vi-i, '«.* TTnitAri atnfna PhfirpA the Flint when the Germans sailed, Kirk, the United States Charge h..j, Tromsoe, Norway, last d'Affaires, could get no official Priday. They included the German reports. prize crew of eighteen and thirty- The opinion was expressed In Height rescued Britishers, who-were some official circles that the Soviet! left in Tromsoe. By deduction, it was presumed the American seamen Union and Germany might be at- tempting to lean on technicalities to hold up the ship until a German prize court could claim title to her. This opinion was based upon a Soviet official news agency state- ment that the American ship had been taken into Murmansk for re- pairs to her engines and also upon the Nazi claim that the craft had no charts for German waters. In other quarters the view was expressed that the German and Soviet Governments might be con- sulting about the possible release of the ship. Meanwhile, the American crew apparently was being held incom- municado at Murmansk, or some other port, and It was impossible, therefore, for the State Depart- ment to obtain their account of the seizure. Secretary of State Cordell Hull declared today in his press confer- ence that the State Department was determined to carry the Flint case through to its logical end from the standpoint of American rights and' international law. Mr. Hull was vague as to what diplomatic steps had been taken on this point in an-, swerlng several questions at his were still on board when the vessel left Tromsoe, after a short stay, for Murmansk. The Secretary said that no at- tempt had been made to reach Captain Joseph A. Gainard of the Flint directly, Indicating that diplo- matic usage made It necessary for this government to attempt to do so I through the Soviet Government. Mr. Hull said that a score of I American ships had been searched ., by the British Gov:rnment since; j the start of the war, but he stressed j that there had been no prize court i proceedings In this connection, j The State Department made pub- i lie a list of the American vessels de- tained by bellgerent nations since | Sept. 1, including In each case the [name of the vessel, her owner or [operator, the nature of the cargo, the date detained and the date re- leased. Following Is a tabulation of the list grouped according to the countries detaining the ships: BRITAIN Saccarappa—South Atlantic Steam- ship Co.. phosphate-cotton; ar- rived Sept. 3: cargo seized Sept. S, ship released promptly; cargo unloaded. Schickshlnny—South Atlantic Steam- ship Co., phosphate-cotton; de- tained Sept. 16, Glasgow; re- leased Sept. 18. Sundance—South Atlantic Steam- ship Co.; rosin and general cargo; detained Oct. 11, London, to date. Black Osprey—Black Diamond Line; cargo unlisted; vessel picked up Sept. 6 by British naval vessel; released Sept. 13. Santa Paula—Grace Line; cargo un- listed; when thirty miles from Curacao ordered to stop, delayed twenty minutes by unidentified British cruiser believed to be the Essex. Ethan Allen — Lykes Brothers Steamship Company; Cargo un- Steamship Company; detai n ed Sept. 14: released Oct. 5. SyroH—Lykes Brothers Steamship Company; detained Sept. 23; re- leased Oct. 10. GERMANY Wacosta — Waterman Steamship Corp.; detained Sept. 9 for three hours by German submarine; papers examined, holds searched. Hybert—Lykes Brothers Steamship Co.; detained Sept. 10 about two hours by German submarine; papers examined and ship warned not to use radio for twenty-four hours. City of Flint-United States Mari- time Commission; details un- known.