On 2 December,
The Washington Post reported on an incident involving
Montanan. While headed down the Pacific coast of
Mexico with a cargo of dried fruits and canned goods,
Montanan was approached by a
Japanese warship, which fired a warning shot for
Montanan to stop. After doing so, a boarding party with Japanese officers in a
launch headed to
Montanan. When the American identity of
Montanan was established to the satisfaction of the Japanese, they returned to their ship without boarding
Montanan. The news report did not identify the type or the name of the Japanese warship, which had been searching for a German vessel thought to be operating in the area