The record-union., 1899-04-30
CAPT. COCHLAN'S
UTTERANCES
Were Not Taken Very Seriously in
German Empire.
Never a Serious Mlsunderstandin 6 Between
Won Diedrlchs and Dewey.
Since the Manila Incident the Re-
Iations of the Two Admirals
Have Been of the Most Pleasant
Characteristic Same Conditions
Exist at Samoa, All Reports to
the Contrary notwithstanding.

BERLIN, April 29.-The Coghlan in
cident at New York has been generally
discussed by the German papers this
week, although it is evident, as stated
to the Associated Press correspondent
here by a responsible member of the
Government, that the Journalist mouth
pieces of the Government did not desire
to construe the Objectionable utterances
as anything more than the remarks OF
a. man who had not been accustomed
to measuring his words. For day or
two a number of the leading newspapers
published severe structures on the case.
With a view to obtaining a declara-
ton from governmental headquarters,
the correspondent here of the Associa-
ted Press sought an interview with
Privy Councillor Hamman, high Off
cial of the Foreign Office. Having been
instructed by the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Baron Won BueloW, Councillor
Hamman said:
SO far as the Foreign Office knows,
there never was a serious misunder
standing between Admiral Won Died
richs and Admiral Dewey, not even dur
ing the early part of last summer. We
will not deny that there may have been
slight bitches ait first, for the situation
was a difficult one for both Germans
and Americans. Admiral Dewey may
possibly have suspected for time that
Admiral Won Diedrichs was intriguing
with the SpaniardS at Manila, or that
Germany may have meant to take a
hostile stand. This may have been due
to certain evolutions of our ships which
Admiral Dewey misconstrued. On the
other hand, Admiral Diedrichs prob
ably keenly felt the restrictions of a
stringent blockade, which greatly ham
pered the movements of his ships. This
irksome position may have tried the pa
thence of Admiral Won Diedrichs at
| times
This we believe was the case both
at Manila and Iloilo, but whatever the
| little unpleasantness grew out of, this
condition never, if we have been cor
rectly informed, took a serious complex
ion, and it was never so understood by
either party. All of this was over long
ago, and the grass has overgrown it,
Ever since the end of last summer, the
relations of Admiral Won Diedrichs and
character, and, according to the latest
| advices, are SO now, to the extent Of
rendering mutual services and fratern-
izing on more than one occasion.
| 1.-THE same conditions exist at Samoa,
where, all reports to the contrary not
withstanding, our advices show that
never since the trouble began have the
relations of the commander and crew of
the German cruiser Fake and those of
| the English and American vessels
ceased to be cordial and pleasant. This
| has been the case especially with the
| Americans Among the crew of the
| United States cruiser Philadelphia are
a number of COMMUNICATIONS and
through them friendly intercourse came
quite naturally. All our reports agree
on this point.
German residents of Apia," Council
| lor Hannah continues, especially
mention that they had not had to suffer
nearly as much from the Americans on
account of passport regulations and
other warlike measures as from the
British, thanks to the more urbane
methods of the former.
Regarding the utterances of Captain
Coghlan- the Government, Councillor
Hamman concluded, has attached no
importance to the incident. The assur-
ances received from Washington on
that subject have been entirely salts
factory"
Some of the newspaper comments
ELECTED by Captain Cogh1an's utterances
are very significant For example the
'Frankfurter Zeitung' admits that it
saw no necessity for the dispatch of a
large German squadron to Manila, and
asserts that the squadron interfered in
judiciously with the American block
ade The "Frankfurter Zeitung" al
leges that this interference was due to
direct instructions from Emperor Will
lam.
Even more significant is the fact that
the Cologne Volks Zeitung," the main
organ of the Center, the dominant party
in the Reichstag, has an article agree
ing with the foregoing statement, and
containing the mysterious passage:
Perhaps it was due to- negotiations on
the part of Germany in order to obtain
if possible a coaling station in the
Philippines, that a number of our yes
sells were sent to Manila. If this pre-
sumption is correct, those who sent in
structions to Admiral Won Diedrichs
without the knowledge of the Foreign
Office received a bitter lesson The For
eign Office has since been engaged in
repairing the blunder, and has sue
ceeded with the American Government
but not yet with the people of the
United States, as the Coghlan incident
again demonstrates.
The force of this editorial article is
heightened by the fact that the paper
in which it was published was in the
outbreak of the war with Spain one of
the most virulent enemies of the United
States.
The "Volks Zeitung'' and other news
papers advise Germans not to under
value the Importance of hostile. demon
STATIONS accompanying the Coghlan IN
cident, putting them on parallel lines
with similar incidents on both sides in
the period preceding the Franco-Ger
man war.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press learns that Emperor William has
taken a deep interest in the Coghlan
incident and in affairs that have been
developing in Samoa. While visiting
at Wartburg the EmDeror had f,,lI 10