The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-23
CRUISER AND FREIGHTER
Captain wedgewood Of the wIllerby
Under German Fire.

the Literary Digest of April 10 Is an
interesting article contributed by a num-
| Der of the captains of French and Eng
fish vessels which were captured and
sunk by the Prinz Eitel Friedrich dur
| ing its famous cruise.
Captain Moussion Of the French ship
| Floride gives n description OF the sink
ing of his vessel and comments in rather
| friendly terms upon the treatment which
was accorded him and his passengers.
as well as to the crews and passengers
of other captured vessels.
| Another very Interesting contribution
to this article came from Captain Wedge
wood of the British freighter Willerby,
| who. however paints the occurrences in
"A very much less favorable light. In
fact, he intimates very clearly that he
and his crew were not treated as well
as some of the other members of the
Eitcrs passengers Cor prisoners. which,
ever they may be called. He COM
plains that his freedom was very much
restricted. that he was allowed on deck
only few hours day, and that he was
not supplied with vegetables fresh from
the market every morning. lie is, how
ever. gracious enough to say that within
| certain limits these conditions were i'm
| posed by circumstances, and the only
| thing that he was fearful OF was that
| the Eitel might meet a hostile cruiser
| and that the Germans. carried away by
| their past successes. might open fro in
their excitement, which would have
| meant but one thing: THAT the foe
would have returned the fire promptly
and We should have been blown sky
ward" Curiously enough this latter
sentiment must have originated in Cap
tain Wedgewoods mind u long while
! after his capture. This he describes
very graphically. stating that the Eitel
overhauled them and ordered them to
| stop, which he did not do at once be-
cause he thought her English. appar-
entity being unable to realize that the
| British navy had not entirely cleared
| the oceans of German raiders.
He states that the Eitel was taking
a position where she could ram the
Willerby amdships and he finally real
ICED that he had better stop:
BY that time I knew that I was dealing
With a German auxiliary fighting ship and
I let her approach until her bow was
| right across our wake. Then l yelled
down the voice tube TO tho engineer to
drive the wilerby as,ern full speed. II
| looked for a moment as though I should
make good and ram tho enemy. but the
German boat has twin screws. and these
were Jockeyed at fun tit so that the
raider was turned quickly and We slipped
by with only a few feet Intervening. Had
I struck her she would have gone down
all right. As heard afterward. there
was almost = panic aboard the German
ship.
When Captain wedgewood committed
this act he was not as solicitous OF the
lives OF the prisoners on board the Eitel
as he was when he himself formed one
He also probably didn't realize that the
Germans had perfect right TO shoot
him or string him up as soon as they
could lay hands on him, for It must be
apparent TO all impartial observers that
the only reason why q merchant vessel
is exempted from immediate attack as
soon as she comes within range OF the
guns OF war vessel Is because she is
presumed helpless. II was on this UNI
Outstanding only that the Eitel warned
her TO stop and made arrangements to
transfer her passengers prior to destroy
Ing her prize.
II the E!tel had suspected that the
willerby either had mounted guns
aboard or intended 10 ram her she would
OF course have been perfectly right to
sink the British vessel as soon as she
came within range and save only such
members OF her crew or passengers as
she could. after making sure that the
Willerby was helpless and could no
longer do her any harm. This would
no doubt have been her fate had the
Germans suspected that her captain had
any hostile intentions.
Under the general usages OF warfare
adopted by all civilized nations any civil
ian caught in the act of shooting or
threatening TO shoot upon uniformed
troops is subject 70 instant execution.
Captain Wedgevood by permitting the
E!tel to approach him under the i'm
preston that he would surrender. and
then turning upon his captor. placed
himself upon the level with any franc
tireur" and as such forfeited his life.
1t is rather astonishing under these
circumstances TO hear him complain OF
any harshness on the part Of his cap
tors and their unwi,lingness to expose
themselves further TO attempts on his
part TO injurs them by keeping him IN
close confinement whenever there was
any danger that he might communicate
with the ships OF his own nation.
Undoubtedly. however. Captain Wedge
wood acted upon a perfectly honest con-
yiction that he was in his rights as he
saw them. or else he would not have
confessed so frankly to an attempt 10
sink his cdptors. which. under the cir
cumstances, any impartial observer must
naturally consider. 20 say the least. TAX
ing an unfair advantage. But this APP
pears TO be the general attitude OF Brit
ish seamen and the British Government.
They absolutely fail to understand that
any one could possibly question the doc
tr,ne OF BRITANNIA rules the waves"
nd II is this unfortunate. stubborn at
ttudc. this inability 10 see that there
may be rival arising for British su-
prcmacy on the sea that leads TO acts
which must naturally incense an enemy
who believes he has dealt fairly with
his prize. AN attitude which must under
certain circumstances necessarily result
In such dcplorahl. incidents IA that Of
the sinking of rhe Faiaba,
IA. Won VIrrINGHorF.
wINcHEsTER Mass April 81.