The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-25
Ian belongs to the. class OF American
officers who have swelled heads In con-
seauenee OF their easy victory over
COGHLAN'S CASE.

Germany Has Lodged n Protest
Against tho Indiscreet Captains
Lnnguage-Not n Serious Affair.
WASHINGTON. April 24.-The Ger
man government has entered formal
protest against the Language used by
Captain Coghlan, OF the Raleigh, at
the Union League Club banquet. in
New York, last Friday night.
The protest was lodged with secre-
tnry Hay through the German ambaa-
sador, Herr Won Holleben.
Secretary Hay replied that the Ian
guage appeared TO have been used at
q dinner in club, and SO could not be
regarded as an official or public utter
ance In the sense that would warrant
the state department In acting. How
ever, the navy department was fully
competent 10 take such action as the
case seemed to require. With this
statement the ambassador was content
for time, at least, and will doubtless
await n reasonable length Of time upon
the navy department.
There are scmi-ohicial intimations
that the ambassador wifi not concern
himself 30 much with the course of Cap
tain CoShlaR as with the course of the
United States In dealing with Coghlan.
The German ambassador stated to-day
that the poem recited b. Captain Cogh-
Ian was too nasty to be noticed"
1t is said that Captain Coghian's case
Is not similar 10 that Of the Spanish
Captain Concha, whose utterances In
Madrid, just before the war; In crlti-
clsm Of the United States, caused the
state department to lodge a formal pro-
test through United States Minister
HaRnis Taylor Captain Concha's ut
teranceS were embodied In lecture
delivered before the Spanish Geographic
ical Society, and were public in the full
sense of the term. Secretary Hay. In
his reply to the German ambassador,
has undoubtedly taken note OF the Diff
ference between the cases on this par
ticular point, and II may be a very i'm
portant difference for Captain Cogh-
Ian. The state departments position
is that club Is simply the home of a
| number OF gentlemen, and so cannot be
considered public affair.
Does Not Relieve Coshlan.
But this view does not relieve Cap
tain 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 SccrC-
tary Hays attitude, the navy depart
| ment, as the secretary has Indicated,
must deal with the case. Captain Cogh-
Ian can be called TO account on several
| charges, presumlRs that he has been
| correctly reported, and that he admits
the utterances. AS In Commodore
Meade's case, II he stands mute. and
the newspaper men refuse 10 testify,
| the navy department can proceed no
further. The charges which would
! most probably be brought against Cap
tain Coghlun. In case the affair pro-
crosses to 4 court martial, would be
conduct to the prejudice OF good order
| and discipline and cpnduc. unbecomlng
an officer and a gentleman.
So far. no response has been received
from Captain Coghlan at the navy. de-
purtment. 1t Is expected that the OFF,
Ger will proceed with deliberation In
making any statemen. he may desire
| to submit to the department. Mean
hwile, unpleasant suggestions arc aris-
Ing as to the cmbarr,iesments that may
follow the execution of tho round ~
receptions already planned for the Rat
elgh.
An Additional CffcHSe.
The German ambassador appeared al
| the state department at n0oE- to-day for
the purpose OF making further repre-
scnttions to Secretary Hay regarding
the conduct of Captain Coghlan, so
that the utterances OF Captain CoEhfan
at the Army and Navy Club. as pub
lished In yesterday mornings papers,
were regarded as an additional offensc.
! An effort was made. to ascertain
whether the United States government
intended to do anything officially, in
| view OF subsequent Developments In
the case
Secretary Hay has not changed his
position In any degree. He deprecated
The lack of tuc; and the bad taste
| shown by Captain Coghian. and he did
not hesitate to let that be known to
| the German ambassador.
After the conference between Sccre-
tary Hay and the German Ambassador
this noon. II was stated In an uuthori-
| tative quarter. that there was no reason
TO View the C6ghlan affair In too scrt-
GUS light as presenting grave inter-
! national complications. The meeting
| to-day 1t was stated, had been mutu
| ally agreeable. The main feature OF
| the state department conference was In
establishing that Germany expects the
United States government 10 deal with
the Coghlan affair accordr-; TO the
gravity OF the offensc. and tho United
states IN turn Will give assurances that
every Just expectation in this respect
] will he prrrorp,o1