Violated at Tsingtao a Tokyo, Feb. 4 The British-owned steamer St. Vincent de Paul and two Norwegian vessels, which were detained for a short while at Tsingtao a few days ago, were found to have violated Maritime Customs regulations, according to reports from authorities in Shanghai and Tsingtao reaching here today.
Customs authorities were said to have established that the St. Vincent de Paul, a 1,300-ton ship, and the Haidah, Norwegian-owned 1,100-to vessel, were engaged in trading at places not permitted in either their inland river navigation permits or clearance papers. The Havthor, 850- ton ship of Norwegian registry, was alleged to have been engaged in trading at points allowed in her inland river navigation permits but not specified in her clearance. papers.
A message from Tsingtao said the three ships carried large quantities of silver bullion, hens, pigs and $26,000 worth of old legal tender, all of which had not been declared in their manifests.
Alleged interference by an officer and a party of armed sailors from HMS. Birmingham prevented an official examination of the St. Vincent de Paul being carried out by Customs authorities in Tsingtao, the message claimed.—Domei.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.