Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-24
American Refugees Have
Serious Complaints of
British insults at
Kingston
ENGLAND KEEPS THE
MATTER UNDER COVER
Correspondence With ia
maican Governor Not Civ
en- Out by Government J.

Sh Ou1 Oy NOVCulslstCasS
London, Jan. 23.-The government
here has heard from Governor SWEET
enham of Jamaica concerning the in
cident involving the withdrawal Of
the American warships from Kings
ton. Absolute secrecy is being main
tanned at the colonial Office, but the
fact was elicitrd during the night
that good many kilograms have been
received from Swettenham, some of
deal with the insident. These, 1t Is
understood, confirm the main features
of the affair as already known. 1t is
not the present intention of the colo
nial Office to make these kilograms
public. the official view being that it
is personal affair between the gov
eminent department and an official,
which Is properly adjustable between
them.
Bond Of Blood Mockery.
New York, Jan. 23.-"In individual
cases and minor ways we were made
to feel the superiority and first claim
of the English, and found the much
talked of bonds of blood and language.
when tested, to be a mockery and a
f aQIplOIIltClc pndnLOn. si
This is the unanimous opinion of 112
American refugees from Kingston, who
arrived here yesterday on the steamer
Prince Eitel Friedrich, as.er suesering
indignitfes at the hands not Of the ig-
norant and hardly civilized blacks, who
comprise the greater part Of the popu-
lation of Jamacia, but Of Sir Alfred
Jones and his party of highborn men
and women, newly arrived from Lon
don.
Tell of lndignities.
The resolutions follow:
We, a company of American refu-
gees of Kingston, from Jan. IA to Jan.
II, 1907, on board the steamship Prinz
Eitel Friedrich, herewith utter emphat-
ic condemnation of the conduct and be-
havior, in that period. Of certain Off
cials of rank, specifically, Captain Par
sons, commander of the British steam
ship Port Kingston, lying in the har-
Dor Of Kingston, and aboard which was
Sir Alfred Jones, his superior, and 9TH
er officials, hasing our contentious on
the following counts:
First. That Captain Parsons de-
clined to furnish food for one meal to
the small number of Germans, led by
Captain Richard Vahsel Hamburg
American line, who prevented four
docks from burning on the night of the
1
own wharf.
Women Are Elected.
Second. That such American and
other refugees as the small boats man
ned by Captain Vahsel and others
gathered and lodged on Monday on
board the Port Kingston were summar
lily ordered ashore at p. m. Tuesday
to make room for English refugees,
though women and children tearfully
pleaded that they had not food nor
clothing on shore.
Third. That the wounded of mixed
! nationalities were taken ashore at the
same hour and left in crude situation
on the railway wharf. until cared for
by American naval authorities on
Thursday, except such as were remov-
ed by train to Spanish Town, or by
relatives who found them.
Denied Place to Sleep.
Fourth. That when Father o'Don-
ovan of Boston, Father Gavin Of IN
dianapolis, and the Rev. H. F. Auld Of
Hatboro Pa, took a petition to Sir
Alfred Jones and Captain Parsons
from the refugees, sleeping on trunks,
sacks of coffee and the cargo-fouled
planks of the Hamburg American dock,
to allow the said refugees to go on
board the Port Kingston, then at her
dock, where they would be safe from
recurrent earthquake shocks, Captain
Parsons refused, with great incivility,
and coming to the Hamburg American
dock showed the party further dis
courtesy.
.Fifth That in the three days,
though Sir Alfred Jones and his party
on board the Port Kingston had all the
comforts of a large, well equipped ship,
no tender was made either of food, wa
ter, coffee, bedding or medical assist
ance.
Neglected BY Officials.
Sixth. That in three days, save for
the above unpleasant visit of Captain
Parsons. no official visit was paid eth
er by the police, military or colonial
authorities to the large body of Amer
lean refugees on the Hamburg-Ameri-
can docks, the known center for Amer
lean refugees in Kingston, to offer sue
cor or protection in any degree, or even
to ascertain in any degree, or even to
ascertain the condition in which they
Were
Seventh. That in individual cases
and minor ways we were made to feel
the superiority and first claim OF the
English and found the much talked of
bonds of blood and language when
tested to be a mockery and diplomat
ic phantom.
Therefore, we declare our resent
lnent and condemnation, this utterance
being the joint expression of the pas
ssengers in common assembly on board
the Prinz Eitel Friedrich, Jan, 81. 1907.