The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-04-26
GERMANY OFFENDED.
Capt. Coghlan Talked Too
Much at the Club Banquet.

man government has entered a formal
protest against the language used by
Capt Cogblan of the Raleigh, at the
IJniou League club banquet 10 New
York last Friday night, and slso his
remarks Oh Saturday night before the
Army and club
The protest was lodged with Secretary
Hay through the German ambassador,
Herr ION Holleben.
Secretary Hay replied that the
language appeared to have been used at
dinner in club. and so could not be
regarded as an official OF 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 the time at least, and will doubtless
wait reasonable leugth Of time upon
the navy department.
There are semi.oficial intimations
tnat the ambassador will not so much
concern himself With the course of
Capt. Coghlan as with the course Of tbe
United States in dealing with Coghlan.
The German ambassador stated today
that the poem recited by Capt. Coghlan
was ''too nasty to be noticed "
Though relieved from accountability
to the state department. directly by
Secretary Hays attitude, the navy
department, as the secretary has indi-
Gated, must deal with the case. Capt.
Coghlan can be called to account on
several charges, preauming that be has
been correctly reported and that be
admits the utterances.
| So far no response has been received
from Capt. Coghlan at the navy
department. 1t is expected that the
officer will proceed With deliberasior 10
making any statement he may care to
submit to the department..
The German ambassador appeared at
the state department at noon today for
the purpose of making further repre-
sentationa to Secretary Hay touching
/ the conduct of Capt Ceghlan, so that
the utterauces of Capt. Ccshlan at the
Army and Navy club, as published iu
yesterday mornings papers, we're
regarded as an additional offense.
Secretary Hay has not changed his
position in any degree. Ee depre-
Gated the lack of tact, and the bad
taste shown by Capt. Cogblan, and
he did not hesitate to let that be
known to the German amba iador.
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 views to the foreign
Office at Berlin. The officials on both
sides realized that his episode may
grow inte a very great source of
discord, unless treated discreetly and
coolly
After the conference between
Secretary Hay and the German
ambassador this noon, it was stated
in an authoritative quarter that there
wae no reason to view the Coghlan
affair in too serious a light, or as
presenting grave international COM
plications The meeting today, it
was stated, had been mutually agree
able. The main feature of the state
department conference was in estab-
fishing that Germany expects the
United States government to deal
with the Coghlsn affair according to
the gravity of the ofense, and the
United States In turn gives tho as
surance that every just expectation in
this respect will be performed.
THE CASUS BELLI.
At the dinner given on last Friday
night at the Union League in honor
of Capt. Coghlan and his fellow
officers of the Raleigh number Of
the diners called upon the captain to
sing song lie protested that be
was no singer, but finally yielded to
the popular pressure and recited
some verses written by an English
man and first published in Hong
Kong paper. They are said to have
been popular in our feet at Manila
These are the verses
HOCH DER KAISER.
Der IA User of dis Fatherland
Und Gott on high all diDgs command.
We two-ach Don't you understand?
Myself-und Gott.
Vile some men sing der power divine,