The Portland daily press., 1899-04-25
COGHLAN's SPEECH.
Formal Protest From Germany Against
Raleigh Captains Remarks.

Raleigh Captains Remarks.
Washington, April 24-The German
government has entered formal pro-
test against the language used by Cap
tain Coghlan Of the Raleigh at the Union
League club banquet In New York last
Friday night. The protest was lodged
with Secretary Hay through the German
ambassador here. Won Holleben.
Secretary Hay replied that the Language
appeared to have been used at dinner In
club, and could not be regarded as
an official or public uttsrance in the
sense that would warrant the state de-
partuent In acting.
However, the navy department was
fully competent to take action as the case
seemed to require. There are semi-offic.
ial intimations that the aInbassad or will
not so much concern himself with the
course of Captain Coghlan as with the
course of ths United States in dealing
with Cophlan.
The German ambassador stated today
that the poem recited byCsptain Coghlan
was "too nasty to be noticed"
The state departments position Is that
q club is simply the home of q number
of gentlemen, and SO cannot be consid.
cred public affair. But this view does
not relieve Captain Coghlan from re-
sponsibility to his brother officers for con
duct which Is alleged to be detrimental
to the navy.
The German ambassador appeared at
the state department at noon for tn pur.
pose of making further representations to
Secretary Hay touching the words OF
Captain Coghlan, 50 that the utterance
of Captain CoghIan at the army and navy
club, published In yesterday mornings
papers, were regarded as an additional
offense.
An effort was made to ascertain
whether the United States government
intended to do anything official in view
of the developments in the case. Secre-
tary Hay has not changed his position
In any degree He deprecated the lack
of tact and the bad taste shown by Cap
tain Cogblan and he did not hesitate to
let 1t be known to the German ambassa-
dor. But be still held that the case was
one that required treatment by methods
of naval discipline only, and with which
the state department could not concern
itself.
The German ambassador will commu.
nicate the departments view to the for
eign Office at Berlin.
Our officials are somewhat surprised
at the importance attac he'd to this incl
dent by the German government. 1t is
stated that our own government has ig-
nored many utterances of German officials
Of sentiments far more inimical to the
United States than was the tale OF Cap
tain CoRhlan to Germany. 1t Is recalled
that Baron Thielman, the German min
lister of finance in addressing the Reichs |, ,g
last summer, declared that 1t was not
worth while to conceal the fact that in
the war between Spain and the United
States the sympathies of Germany were
with Spain the weaker power.
After the conference between Secretary
Hay and the German ambassador this
noon, it was stated in an authoritative
quarter this that there was no reason
to view the Coghlan affair in too serious
a light or as representing grave interna-
tional complications. The meeting to-
day, 1t was stated, had been mutually
agreeable. The main feature of the state
department conference was in establish
ing that Germany expects the United
States to deal with the Coghlan affair ac-
cording to the gravity of the offense and
the United States In turn gives assur-
ance that every jnst expectation In this
respect will be performed.
CoGHLAN READY FOR WA r.
New York, April "a The Evening
World prints the following:
Captain Coghlan smiled today when
court martial was hinted at. He shook
his head and laughed most heartily and
then said:
"No, no. no. No man can be court
martialed for telling story that is
true"
"But Senator Depew saysrthese stories
may lead to war.
"well, tell the Senator I'm ready"