The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-25
PROTEST FILED
AGAINST COGHLAN
Germany Offended at the Captains
Remarks.
AMBASSADOR Won H0LLEBEN
Calls atthe State Department Regarding
the Affair.
AMBASSADOR Won HOLLEBEN
SPEECH AT ARMY AND NAVY CLUB
CoghlanDid Not Mince Words Regard
ing the Insolence ofVo D richs
at Manila and Said an En-
counter was Imminent.

Washington, April A.-The German gov
ernment has entered a formal protest
against the language used by Captain
Coghlan, of the Raleigh, at the Union
League Club in New York last Friday
night
The protest was lodged with Secretary
Hay through the German ambassador, Herr
VonHoleben.
Secretary Hay replied that the language
appeared to have been used at a dinner in
a club, and so could not be regarded as an
official or public utterance in the sense
that would warrant the state department
in acting. However, the navy department
was fully competent to take such action as
the case seemed to require.
With this statement the ambassador was
content for time at least, and will doubt
less wait a reasonable length of time upon
the navy department
There are semi-officia1 intimations that
the ambassador will not place much conf
dence himself in the course of Captain
Coghlan. The German ambassador stated
today that the poem recited by Captain
Coghlan was too nasty to be noticed"
DissImiIar 10 Conchas' Remarks
1t is sad that Captain Coghlan's case is
not similar to that of the Spanish Captain
Conchas, whose utterances IN Madrid just
before the war in severe criticism of the
United States caused the state department
to lodge formal protest through United
States Minister Taylor.
Captain Conchas' utterances were embod-
led in lecture delivered before the Span
ish Geographical Society, and were pub
lished in the full sense of the term. Secre-
tary Hay, in his reply to the German am
bassador has undoubtedly taken note of
the differences of the cases on this partic-
ular point, and 1t may be very important
difference for Captain Coghlan. The state
departments position is that club is sim
ply the home of the gentlemen, and so cam
not be considered a public affair.
But this View does not relieve Captain
Coghlan from responsibility to his brother
officers forsconduct which is alleged to be
detrimental to the navy. Though relieved
from accountability to the state department
directly by Secretary Hays attitude, the
navy department. as the secretary has in
dicated, must deal with the case.
Can Be Called to Account
Captain Coghlan can be called to account
on several charges, presuming that he has
been correctly reported, and that he admits
his utterances. AS in Commodore Meades
case, If he stands mute and the newspaper
men refuse to testify the navy department
can proceed no further.
The charge which would most probably be
brought against Captain Coghlan In case
the affair progresses to court martial
would be conduct to the prejudice of good
order and discipline, and conduct unbecom-
ing an officer and gentleman.
So far no response has been received from
Captain Coghlan at the navy department..
1t is expected that the officer will proceed
with deliberation in making any statement
he may care to submit to the department
Meanwhile unpleasant suggestions are ais
ing to the endorsements that may follow
the execution of the round of receptions al
ready planned for the Raleigh.
Made Further Representations
The German ambassador appeared at the
state department at noon today for the pur-
pose of making further representations to
Secretary Hay touching the conduct OF
CAPTAIN Coghlan with the Army and Navy
club as published in yesterday morning
papers were regarded as an additional OF
fense An effort was made to ascertain
whether the United States government in
tended to do anything offfcially in view OF
subsequent delevopments in the case.
Secretary Hay has not changed his POSI-
tion in any degree He deprecated the lack
of tact and the bad taste shown by Captain
Coghlan, and he did not hesitate to let that
be known to the German ambassador. But
he still held that the case was one that re-
ouired treatment by means of naval discip-
line only and one which the state depart
ment could not concern itself.
The German ambassador will comrnuni-
cate the departments views to the foreign
office at Berlin. The officials on both sides
realize that this episode may grow into
very great source of discord unless treated
discreetly and cody.