The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1899-04-28
THE GERMANS ARE OFFENDED
AT REMARKS MADE by CAPTAIN
COGHLAN IN CLUBsPEECHEs.
AMBASSADOR CALLS UPON HAY.
Secretary OF State Says II Ia n Matter For
the Navy Department TO
straightsn Out

A Washington special says: The
German government has entered
formal protest against the language
used by Captain Coghlan, of the
Raleigh, at the Union League Club
banquet at New York last Friday
night, and also his remarks on Satur-
day night before the Army and Navy
Club.
The protest was lodged with Secre-
tary Hay through the German ambas-
sador, Herr Won Holleben.
Secretary Hay replied that the
language appeared to have been used
at dinner in a club and so could not
be regarded as an official or public ut
terance in the sense that 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 content, for the time at least, and
will doubtless wait 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 the
United States in dealing with Coghlan.
The German ambassador stated that
the poem recited by Captain Coghlan
was "too nasty to be noticed"
Though relieved from accountability
to the state department directly by
Secretary Hays attitude, the navy de-
partment, as the secretary has indi-
Gated, must deal with the case. Cap
tain Coghlan can be called to account
on several charges, presuming that he
has been correctly reported and that
he admits the utterances. AS in Com
modore Meade's case, if he stands
mute and the newspaper men refuse
to testify, the navy department can
proceed no further.
So far no response has been receiv-
ed from Captain Coghlan at the navy
department. 1t is expected that the
officer will proceed with deliberation
in 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 Ra-
leigh
The German AMBASSADOR appeared at
the state department at noon Monday
for the purpose of making furthur rep
reservations to Secretary Hay touch
ing upon the conduct of Captain
CoghIan, so that the utterances of
Captain Coghlan at the Army and
Navy Club as published in Monday
mornings papers were regarded as an
additional offense.
Secretary Hay has not changed his
position in any degree. He deprecated
the lack of tact and the 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 ma
val uAoOApllho OAlJj anu Will WuASH
the state department could not con-
Germ itself. The German ambassador
will communicate the departments
views to the foreign Office at Berlin,
The officials on both sides realize that
this episode may grow into a very
grave source of discord unless treated
discreetly and coolly.
Our officials are somewhat surprised
at the importance attached to this in
cident by the German government i
is said that our own government has
ignored many utterances of German
officials of sentiments far more mimi
cal to the United States than was tn,
talk of Captain Coghlan to Germany