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A8 U.S. NEWS
Friday 23 June 2017
Investigators obtain data recorder in U.S. warship collision

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese
authorities said Thursday
they have obtained a data
recording device from a
container ship to help de-
termine why it collided with
a U.S. destroyer, killing sev-
en American sailors.
Japanese transport safety
officials said they obtained
the voyage data record-
er, similar to an airplane’s
“black box,” from the
Philippine-flagged ACX
Crystal, which is currently
docked in Yokohama near
Tokyo.
Investigators are examin-
ing the ship’s movements,
including its location, di-
rection, speed and other
data to determine the
cause of its collision with
the USS Fitzgerald early
Saturday off Izu Peninsula,
west of Tokyo.
“By analyzing the data, we
should be able to deter-
mine the circumstances of
how it crashed,” Transport
Safety Board spokesman
Katsunori Takahashi said. In this Sunday, June 18, 2017, file photo, journalists observe the damaged USS Fitzgerald at the U.S. Naval base in Yokosuka, south-
The safety board is focus- west of Tokyo, one day after its collided with the Philippine-flagged container ship ACX Crystal in the waters off Japan.
ing on the cause of the Associated Press
collision and the lessons to
be learned, while Japan’s the other party as “a U.S. initial 2:20 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. or because its crew was investigation will settle the
coast guard is investigating warship.” The coast guard after interviewing the Crys- working frantically to keep issue.
possible professional negli- immediately contacted tal’s crewmembers and ex- the ship from sinking. Japa- The collision occurred in
gence in the accident. the destroyer to ask about amining the ship’s location. nese officials say every ship Japanese waters, but it is
U.S. Navy and Coast Guard its damage. It is not known why the two is equipped with a backup uncertain if Japanese au-
officials are investigating “They requested our help vessels did not immediately communication system for thorities will have access
the destroyer at its home in the rescue operations,” contact the coast guard, emergencies. to U.S. investigation results
port, Yokosuka naval base. he said. Within two hours, a Japanese officials say. The U.S. Navy still uses 2:20 because the U.S. military
Japanese coast guard of- Japanese coast guard pa- There is speculation that a.m. as the time of the colli- has the primary right to in-
ficial Takeshi Aikawa said trol ship was at the scene. the Fitzgerald might have sion, but U.S. military officials vestigate U.S. warships in-
the first distress call came The Japanese coast guard been temporarily unable to say they have no intention volved in accidents under
from the container ship at has revised its estimate of communicate because of to dispute the Japanese a bilateral Status of Forces
2:25 a.m., and it identified the collision time from an damage from the collision, coast guard, and that the Agreement.q

Dutch royals return from

Vatican with royal heirloom

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The the Apostolic Library after in Spain. It’s going on dis-
Dutch king and queen King Willem-Alexander and play at the Dutch military
are returning home from his Argentine-born wife, museum in Soesterberg.q
a state visit to the Vatican Queen Maxima, met with
with a royal heirloom: the Pope Francis.
baton purportedly carried According to the Dutch Father Arturo Sosa Abas-
by William of Orange dur- royal household, Spanish cal, the leader of the Roman
ing the 16th century Dutch Catholic forces took pos- Catholic religious order of the
War of Independence from session of the baton after Jesuits, left, presents King Wil-
lem-Alexander of the Nether-
Spanish rule. they quashed the Protes- lands with the commander’s
The head of the Jesuit re- tant revolt headed by Wil- baton attributed to William of
ligious order, the Rev. Ar- liam of Orange at the Bat- Orange during a meeting at
turo Sosa Abascal, handed tle of Mookerheide in 1574. the Vatican, Thursday, June
over the wooden baton The baton had been 22, 2017.
Thursday at a ceremony in housed in a Jesuit convent Associated Press