Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-31
BRITAIN TAKES
HOSTILES FROM
AMY OLD VESSEL
Continued from page oneI

Protests availed little and the party
was sent to an improvised detention
camp at Stonecutters' island, an iso-
lated point near Hongkong, but
| strongly guarded by a force of British
marines.
Officers in the China that arrived at
Honolulu this morning state that two
Germans succeeded in effecting their
escape from the prison. They gained
the China and when that vessel was
| about TO proceed passed muster of the
| British guards by declaring that they
| were Swiss subjects.
They are now en- route to San Fran
cisco. 1t was stated this morning
that practically all German male resi-
dents of Hongkong have been ordered
under detention pending the outcome
of the war The party from the Phil
ippines represent many prominent
business and professional men.
That the plan to take the Germans
off the Manchuria was we'll developed
in advance of the ships arrival at
Hongkong is shown by clipping
from the Manila Daily Bulletin of
August s. The Bulletin says:
"Rumors that the Manchuria would
| proceed to Shanghai direct and not
call at, Hongkong, that the belligerent
contingent would at the last moment
be ordered ashore, that a plot had
been discovered at Hongkong and
| wired here 10 kidnap the Germans
when the ship reached the British
port, and many other vague forebod-
ings, waited through the air.
AT the hour scheduled for sailing
the gongs sounded '"all ashore who
are going ashore" and the throng
trailed out on the pier. 1t was an
hour later when the big ship was act
ually cleared and then, as the crowd
of visitors gradually dwindled and
struggled homeward It was learned
that the vessel would not sail until to-
fday. The delay was occasioned by a
cable to the Hongkong offices of the
Pacific Mail for final instructions.
! The Manchuria has a large cargo
aboard and 421 passengers, $50 first.
class, 107 second-ciass, and 164 steer.
age.
"The question as to the liability of
the Manchuria in taking reservists of
the three belligerent powers, Ger.
many, France and England, to Hong.
kong was taken up with the governor
general by Attorney Edward 3. Bruce !
representing the Pacific, Commercial
Company yesterday morning, and a
. cable was also sent to the head of.
fees Of the Pacific Mail Company at
San Francisco. A reply to this cable
to the Pacific Mail agents here was
received early in. the day advising
them not to be concerned, which was
taken to mean that the steamer should
proceed with the passengers in cues.
ton on board The governor general
IN the afternoon advised the local
agents that so long as the foreign con-
suls here were not concerned in the
matter he could see no reason why
the ship should not take passengers
booked without discrimination, as
there was nothing to show that any
of them constituted a fighting force.
The status of these reservists is
the only question involved" declared
Mr.. Bruce to Bulletin reporter, land
1t has been decided that their status
is the same as that of all other civil
ian passengers until they have become
Identified as complaints. OF course.
there are several fine points that
might constitute a risk. After the
ship has left Hongkong a Japanese
cruiser might consider it within her
treaty rights to overhaul the Manchu.
ria and take the Germans off before
the vessel reaches Shanghai Howev.
er. to make our position more secure,
we have cabled the full particulars
to Hongkong where the head offices
OF the Pacific Mail Company in the
orient are, and the Manchuria will
not sail until final instructions have
been received from there"
Ihe steamer was cleared for Hong
Kong at the custom house where it
was declared there was no reason for
refusing clearance This was at a.
o'clock yesterday afternoon. The re.
ply TO the cable to Hongkong was
then awaited until $50 o'clock last
evening and as it had not arrived I'D
to that time the ship was ordered to
remain at the pier until today.
Captain Dixon was closeted with
the agents of the boat at the Pacific
Commercial Company's offices yester. |
day afternoon and could not be seen
by reporters who called. 1t was stat 4
ed. however, that the captain was op.
posed to taking the risk of leaving
port with the passengers in question
on board. -
While the German contingent
seemed to be the chief concern 1t was;
argued by several authorities inter.
viewed that as the British and French
contingents were going to Hongkong,
hostile port, 1t seemed more like a |
violation of neutrality against Ger.
many than the conveying of the Ger
man contingent to Shanghai, neutral
port. The chief topic of interest. how.
ever, was what might happen at Hong. I