United States v. The Pietro Campanella

CHESNUT, District Judge.

In March 1941, 28 Italian merchant ships were lying idle in various ports of the United States. At that time Italy was at war with France and England but not with the United States. About March 23 of that year the masters and crews of many of these ships respectively, acting on orders of the Naval Attache of the Italian Embassy in this country, intentionally injured or destroyed the machinery and motive power of the ships, to immobilize them and prevent them from possibly falling into the hands of the enemy. For these acts the masters and some members of the crews of…