The Monticellonian., 1899-04-28
| IL G01HLBn TEMPEST.
The Gallant Captain of the Raleigh Has Evidently Stuck His
 Foot in 1t.
4 FORMAL GERMAN PROTEST ENTERED.
The State Department Can Not Prop crIy Take Action, But the Navy Department Will he Very Likely to Discipline the Officer for His Indiscretion.

Washington, April 25.-The German government has entered formal pro test against the language used by Capt Coghlan of the Raleigh at the Union Leauge club banquet, in New York, last Friday night.
 \ Formal German Protest.
 The protest was lodged with Secre- tary Hay through the German ambas- sador, Baron Non Holleben.
 Secretary Hay replied that the lan- buage appeared to have been used at a dinner, i'll a club, and so could not be regarded as an official or public ut terance in the sense than would war rant 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 con tent, for the time at least. and will doubtless await a reasonable length of time upon the navy department.
 semi-0mciaI invitations.
 There are semi-oifical intimations that the ambassador will not so much concern himself with the course of Capt. Coghlan as with the course of the United States in dealing with Coghlan. The German ambassador stated that the poem recited by Capt. Coghlan was too nasty to be no- tieed.'
 II is said that Capt Coghlan's case is not similar to that of the Spanish Captain Gonchas, whose utterances ill Madrid just before the war in severe criticism of the United States caused the state department 10 lodge formal protest through United States Minister Ilannis Taylor.
 Cnpt. Conchna' Utternnces.
 Capt eonehas Htterances were em- bodied in a lecture delivered before the Spanish Geographical society, and were public in the full sense of the term. Secretary Hay, in his reply to the German ambassador, has andoubt- edly taken note of the difference be- tween the eases on this particular point, and it may be very important difference for Capt. Coghlan. The state department position is that q cub is simply the home of number Gt gentlemen, and so can not be con tiGered public affair.
 Does Not Relieve CoGhinn.
 But this view does not relieve Capt. eoghlan from responsibility to his brother officers, for conduct which is alleged to be detrimental 10 the navy. Trough relieved from accountability to the state department, directly hY Secretary Hays attitude, the navy department as the secretary nas indicated, must deal with the case. Capt. Coghlan can be called 10 account on several charges, pre- suming that he has been correctly reported. and that he admits the ut terances.
 He Can stand Mute. As in Commodore Meade's ease, if he stands mute and the newspaper men refuse to testify, the navy department can proceed no further. The charge N hich would most probably be brought against Capt. Coghlan, in ease the af- fair progresses to a court-martiai, would be conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline, and conduct Inbecoming an officer and gentle | man.
 No Response as Yet.
 So far no response has been re- ceived from Capt. Coghlan at the navy department It is expected that the officer will proceed with deliberation iii making any statement he may care to submit to the department. Mean while unpleasant suggestions are aris- ing as to the embarrassment that may follow the execution of the round of receptions already planned for the l l aIaiob