Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-04-25
GERMANY HAS ENTERED A PROTEST
AT WASHINGTON.
NAVY DEPARTMENT WILL ACT
IT IS OUT OF THE PROVINCE OF THE
STATE DEPARTMENT..
Serious View Is Not Taken of the
Matter, ns the Government Seems
Disposed to Do All That
the German Govern
ment Has Asked.

WASHINGTON, April 2i.-The German
government has entered a formal protest
against the language used by Captain
Cogfilan, 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, Herr
Won Holleben.
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 state
ment the ambassador was content, for the
time at least, and will doubtless await a
reasonable length of time upon the navy
department.
There are semi-ofiicial intimations that
the ambassador will not so much concern
himself with the course of Captain Cogh-
Ian as with the course of the United States
in dealing with Coghlan. The German am
bassador stated to-day that the poem re-
cited by Captain Coghlan was .'too nasty
10 be noticed"
The German ambassador appeared at the
state department at noon to-day for the
purpose of making further representations
to Secretary Hay touching the conduct of.
Captain Coghlan. An effort was made to
ascertain whether the United States gov
ernment intended to do anything officially
in view of subsequent developments in the
development of the case. Secretary Hay
has not changed his position In any degree
He deprecated the lack of tact and 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 required treatment
by methods of naval discipline only, and
with which the state department could not
concern itself. The German ambassador
will communicate the Departments view 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 coolly.
After the conference between Secretary
Hay and the German ambassador this
afternoon. 1t was stated in an authoritative
quarter that there was no reason to view
the Coghlan affair in too serious q light or
as presenting grave International complica-
tions. The meeting to-day, Il was stated,
had been mutually agreeable. The main
feature of the state department conference
was in establishing that Germany expects
the United States government to deal with
the Coghlan affair according to the gravity
of the offense, and the United States, in
pectation in this respect will be performed.
1t Is said that Capain 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
10 lodge formal protest. through United
States Minister Hannis Taylor. Captain
Conchas' utterances were embodied in
lecture delivered before the Spanish Geo.
cranhipal Snciefv i, fla
full sense of the term. Secretary Hay, in
his reply to the German ambassador, has
undoubtedly taken note of the difference
between the cases on this particular point,
and 1t may be very important difference
for Captain Coghlan. The state depart
ment's position is that a club is simply the
home of a number of gentlemen, and SO can
not be considered a public affair.
But this view does not relieve Captain
Coghlan from responsibility to his brother
officers for conduct 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. Captain
Coghlan can be called to account on several
charges. presuming that he has been cor
rectly reported. and that he admits the ut
terances. In Commodore Meade's 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 pro-
crosses to a court-martial, would be con-
duct to the prejudice Of good order and dis
cipline, and conduct unbecoming an officer
and gentleman.
So far. no response has been received
from Captain Coghlan at the navy depart
ment. IL is expected that the officer will
proceed with deliberation in making any
statement he may care to submit to the
department Meanwhile, unpleasant sug-
gestions are arising as to the embarrass-
ment that may follow the execution of
the round of receptions already planned for
the Raleigh.
BERLIN, April 24.-In official circles the
Coghlan incident is regarded mildly as
an ',aufiuss der weinlaune' depression of
wine humoD.
A representative of the foreign office
said to the correspondent here of the Asso-
ciated Press:
THE American government has promptly
and efficiently done all we could reasonably
expect. This alone. even IL 1t were not for
other indications. shows us that the
American government in no way Identifies
itself with the utterances of a solitary Off
Ger
The Tageblatt, in an inspired article, re-
calls the fact that the incident is a year
old (referring to the message which Ad.
mirai Dewey is said to have sent to Ad-
miral Won Diedrichs). and adds: "If we
must admit Admiral Dewey first harbored
suspicious of the German squadron, these
suspicious were subsequently removed and
their relations became most cordial Ad-
miral Dewey even decorating his ships with
flags on the empress birthday. which in
ternationaI etiquette did not compel him
to do"
The Lokal AnEeiger. In a somewhat vio-
lent denunciation of Captain Coghlan. says:
He comes of Irish-American lineage
which notoriously produces the roughs
both high and low, of the American
ciasses."
The Boersen Courier thinks 1t strange
the Americans recommence to seek a quar-
r. rel with Germany instead of first conquer
ing the Filiplnos, who promise to give
them enough work for come time"
The Vossische Zeitung adds:
Captain Coghlan belongs to the class