Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-30
GERMAN RAIDER MAY RUN,
. THEN, AGAIN, SHE MAY NOT
Rumors Are Many and Persistent,
but Those Who Know Re-
main Silent
FEW HOURS WILL TELL TALE
Time Limit Nearly Up, and Prinz
Eitel Friedrich Must Dash for
Open Sea in Face OF Waiting En-
emy or Intern for War.

! NEWPORT NEWS. VA, March 20
With the battleship Alabama due in
Hampton Roads early tomorrow. un-
der orders from the Washington gov
| ernment to enforce neutrality, and tho
! German converted cruiser PrIns .Bitel
! Friedrich still moored here with
steam up. uncertainty regarding the
| disposition of the German sea rnider
Is expected to be dispelled before
many hours.
Although rumor persists that the
commander OF the Prinz Eitel desires
TO be towed to New York for Intern
ment. keeping within the three-mile
limit OF the American coast to prevent
attack from British and French war
ships. verificntion OF the report thus
far has been impossible
a surprising development of the day
was the unheralded visit to Captain
Thierlchens. commander OF the Prinz
| Eitel. of Captain Kiehne. Of Baltimore,
master of the American bark William
+. Frye, which was sunk in the South
Atlantic last January by the German
sea raider. Captain Kiehne had with
MIN his wife and IL pnrty of women
! friends from Baltimore. and spent most
or the day on board tho ship which
brought him and his shlpwrecked
crew to American soil early this
| month.
What did tell you when left the
Prinz Eitel a few weeks ago" Cap
tain Kfehne declared. when ask cd what
no thought Commander ThIerichens in
| tended to do
The American captain wns reminded
that he emphatically had declared that
! the Prinz EItel never would lenvc
| America until the European war was
over.
We'll" Captain Kiehne replied, "I
have nothing to add to that statement
now"
] CAPTAIN AND PARTY
ROYALTY ENTERTAINED
Further than this, the American
| shipmaster would not discuss his visit
| to the Prinz lSitel, except to say that
he and his party had been royalty en-
| tertnined by Commander Thierichens
and his stan. Ii was subsequently
learned, however. that Instruments and
reVoiVers taken from him by the Ger
man sea raiders when his ship WIS sent
TO the bottom, were returned to Can
tain kiehne. He also took with him
large photograph Of the Prinz Eitel
In handsome frame
Reports nrc persistent here also that
the ordering OF tho Alabama to Hamp-
ton Roads was preciptated not be-
cause OF the desire or the German com
mander TO be protected within Ameri-
can waters. but because of undue ac-
tiVity 'on the part OF foreign warships
which have been hovering OFF the Vir-
ginia capes In wait for the Prinz Eitel
The order to the Alabama was given
at Washington on Saturday night On
Friday night the lights on Fort Mon
roe and Fort Wool were kept blazing
for many hour, Illuminating the waters
or Hampton Roads. In addition to
this tho torpedo boat Barney sailed
far out toward the capes. and signals
were exchanged between the forts and
| the torpedo boat.
Reason for this vigilance on the part
of the military and naval forces here
was declared tonight to he based on
report that one OF the British war
ships on Thursday night passed inside
the Virginia capos. while two others
stood within the three mile limit out
side. Reports from several sources nre
| to the effect that the foreign warship
| which came I'm the cnpcs ventured In
almost on Thimblc Shoals Light.
Should the Prinz Eitel have sought to
leave that night. it Is said by marine
| men, she would have been entrapped
| by enemy ships aft and ahead OF her.
On tho subsequent plight Fortress
Monroe's searchlishts were ablaze. and
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