New-York tribune., 1915-03-14
Offer to Pay Indemnity
Expected Before Its
Decision, However.
BERNSTORFF LOOKS
FOR NO DIFFICULTY
Captain and Owner of American
Ship Testify Before Coun-
sellOr Lansing.
fFrom The Tribune Bureau. ]

Washington, March 13.-Tne sinking
/ Of the William p. Frye by the Prinz
Eitel Friedrich will go before Ger
man prize court for adjudication. This
/ information came from an official
source to-day. For this reason Cap
| tain Thierichens Of the Prinz Etel has
retained possession Of the original
papers Of the American vessel. II is
not probable, however, according to
opinion here, that Germany will wait
fo~ the findings of the prize court to
express its regret at the incident and
offer to pay indemnity. although it is
possible that some provision will be
made with regard to the prize courts
decision.
Ambassador Won Bernstorf called at
the State Department to-day to get
some inkling of the intentions of this
government. After his visit he indi-
Gated that he believed the case would
be settled without much difficulty. lie
told Counsellor Robert Lansing what
the captain of the Prinz Eitel had told
Captain Boy-Ed, the naval attache OF
the German Embassy, as to the SINKING
I of the American ship; but the ambas-
sador reserved his own opinion on the
action of the commander, saying he had
no instructions from his government
Captain Thierchens OF the Prinz
I - =.
Eitel informed Captain Boy-Ed that MS
/ only guide while at sea and Tor many
months out of communication with his
government was the Declaration OF
London. This would permit the de-
struction of a neutral prlze II carry
( ing q cargo more than half of which
could be proved to be contraband, pro-
vided it was impossible 10 take the
vessel to a home port without en-
dangerng the captor warship.
Since the outbreak OF the war the
Z German government has argued that
/ foodstuffs must be proven without any
doubt TO be bound actually to the pei
/ liCerent forces Of an enemy before they
/ can be seized.
Bernstorff's Report.
The German Ambassador sent a fuii
report to his government OF the story
I Of the German captain and the reasons
for the latter's action. The inference
was general early in the day that the
Ambassador had defended the captain.
Later il developed that the Ambassador
himself had expressed no views.
1t was said on good authority that
in his report to his government Count
Bernstorff has pointed out that Whlie
the captain acted as best he could
under the circumstances, beng lgnor
ant Of the status of the contraband
situation. this would be an important
factor in relieving the commander from
personal liability, but would not affect
the necessity for the payment OF dam
ages and the making OF reparation by
the German government.
The Ambassador was without infor-
nation from his home government as
to the intentions of the Foreign once:
The relations between the United
States and Germany were far more
seriously strained by the war zone
declaration, with its implied threat to
neutral commerce, than by the sinking
of the Frye.
Tell of Frye's Sinking.
CAPTAIN Kiehne of the Frye, and
! Arthur Sewall, of Bath, Me-, her owner,
spent several hours with Counselor
Lansing this morning. Captain Kiehne
related the story of the sinking of his
shin and his subsequent voyaging with
/ CAPTAIN Thierichens as an enforced
passenger. The seal of secrecy as to
The details of his testimony was placed
on him, and Mr.. Sewall was also in
Structed not to talk. Following the
taking of the testimony, Counsellor
Lansing said:
"The story, as related by Captain
| ContInued on mage ., column