Mr, Karl Nilson, second mate of the American f-eighter Robin Moor, which was sunk by a German submarine in the South Atlantic on May 21, told the United Press yesterday that a German boarding party deliberately prevented an SES from being sent out which might have resulted in the rescue of all Amerieans aboard the ship.
"The Robin Moor was intercepted early in the morning of May 21 by the Germans" Mr. Nilson stated. "Armed sailors boarded us and took over the radio room in order to prevent sending an SES. In 23 minutes the Robin Moor sank from shelling, not from a torpedo.
"We took three lifeboats—37 persons including one child—and for eight days sailed together. Later we took different routes in order to increase our chances of being saved.
We rowed 19 days and nights without stopping.
"The only provisions were biscuits and rain water which we succeeded in catching.
"Our boat drifted for five days, struggling for lack of wind. All aboard kept fixed gazes on all hori-zens. We finally sighted the s. Osorio (Brazilian rescue vessel) at 11.30 p.m. on the 19th day. We started signalling with our electric flashlights. We succeeded in getting the attention of the Osorio, which immediately took us aboard.
"All of us were extremely weak and unable to stand on our feet. We were carried aboard the Osorio although we were not completely exhausted. We probably could have lasted another ten days.
"All, however, we suffering terribly—their lips cracked by the wind and spray," he concluded.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.