The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-25
GERMANY IS SATISFIED
That Captain Coghlan Drank Too
Much Wine.
A FORMAL PROTEST MADE
Hay Sloughs 1t Off on the Navy De-
partment Who Can Do Nothing if
Newspaper Men Refuse to Tes-
tify and Coghlan Keeps Mute.

Washington, April 24-The German
government has entered a formal protest
against the language used by Captain
Coghlan at the Union League club BAN
quet The protest was lodged with Sec
retary Hay through German Ambassador
Won Holleben. Secretary Hay replied that
the language could not be regarded as an
official utterance in sense that would
warrant the department in acting. How
ever, the navy department is fully COM
petent to take such action as the case
seemed to require. There are semi-ofii-
cial intima tions that the ambassador will
not so much concern himself with the
course of CoghIan as with the United
States in dealing with Coghlan.
1t is said Captain Coghlan's case is
not similar to that of the Spanish cap
tain, Conchas. whose utterances IN
Madrid just before the war criticising
the United States. caused the state
department to lodge formal protest
through United States Minister Hannls
Taylor Captain Conchas' utterances
were embodied in lecture before the
Spanish Geographical society and were
published in the full sense of the term.
Secretary Hay. in making his reply to
the German ambassador. has undoubt-
edly taken note of the differences be-
tween the cases on this particular point
and it may be very important differ
ence for Captain Coghlan. The state
departments position is that club is
simply the home of a number of gen.
tlemen and so cannot be considered
public affair. But this view does not
relieve Captain Coghlan from responsl-
bility to his brother officers for con-
duct which is alleged to be detrimen-
tai to the navy. Though relieved from
accountabi to the state department
directly by Secretary Hays attitude.
the navy department, as the secretary
has Indicated must deal with the case.
Captain Coghlan can be called to ac-
count on several charges, presuming
that he has been correctly report1d
and that he admits the 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 a court martlai,
would be conduct to the prejudice OF
good order and discipline and conduct
unbecoming an officer and a gentleman
So far no response has been received
| from Captain Coghlan at the navy de-
partment.
| The German ambassador appeared at
| the state department at noon to-day
for the purpose of making further rep
| reservations to Secretary Hay touch
| ing the conduct of Captain CoghIan
so that the utterances of Captain Cogh-
| Ian at the Army and Navy club as
published in yesterday morning papers
were regarded as an additional of
fense. An effort was made to ascer-
| tain whether the United States govern
ment intended to do anything officially
in view of Subsequent developments il
the case. Secretary Hay has no
changed his position in any degree
| He deprecated the lack of tact ant
| bad taste shown by Captain Coghlal
| and he did not hesitate to let that bs
| known to the German ambassador
But he still held that the case was ont
| that required treatment by methods o
| naval discipline only, and with whicl
| the state department could not con
| Germ itself. The German am mbaSsado
will communicate the department.
view to the foreign office at Berlin. TIL
officials of both sides realize that thi
| episode may grow into a very grea
source of discord unless treated dis
creetly and coolly. After the confer
ence between Secretary Hay and tn
German ambassador this afternoon
was stated in official quarters that ther
was no reason to view the Coghlan af
fair in too serious a light or as pre-
senting grave international complica
tiOnS