"NOTHING DOING."

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 40, 17 February 1916, Page 2

"NOTHING DOING."

A SKIPPER WHO WOULDN'T BUDGE. Writing on the subject of the Ham-burg-America conspiracy trial, tlie New York correspondent of the Central News says:— "Teutonic thoroughness of detail, of which a great deal is being heard just now, was at fault in one instance brought out by the evidence offered on the last day of the Government's case. It appears that when the accused German citizens chartered and sent forth from Philadelphia the steamship Unita, laden with supplies for Gorman warships—all of which the defence conceded —they overlooked the detail that the skipper of the Unita was a loyal British subject. Doubtless Ihc name of the Unita's captain, Emil 01sen, had misled them. Olsen was bora in Norway, but many years ngo was naturalised in Canada. "When'the Unita started from Philadelphia he was told he was to deir for Cadiz with his cargo, but as jjoon as the Delaware Cape .bad been passed a Hamburg-America supercargo, who had come aboard with a letter directing the skipper to obey the supercargo's instructions, told him that what he really was supposed to do was to coal and supply Germany warships or, the high seas.

" 'Nothing doing,' I told tlve supercargo," said Captain Olson in his evidence, which caused much laughter in Court. "So the supercargo offered me 500 dollars to change my course. Nothing doing—nothing doing for a million dollars. The third day out lie offered me ten thousand dollars. Nothing doing. So I sailtd the TJnita to Cadiz, and after we go there T sold the cargo and then looked up the British Consul.

Defending counsel suggested that the supercargo thought Olsen was a Norwegian or a Swede, and picked tho wrong man to betray his country for ten thousand dollairs. "He sure did." bellowed the skipper.