The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1915-02-24
Navy Department
Orders Report on
Loss of u. s. Ship
Secretary Bryan Also Asks Details
on Sinking of Steamer OFF
German Coast
NO TROUBLE EXPECTED
Owners of Vessel Will Not Protest,
as Risks of War Were
Accepted

International difficulties as a result
of the loss of the American steamer,
Evelyn off the German coast Sunday
- are believed extremely unlikly. Own
ers of the vessel accepted the risks
incidental to war in sending 1T to
Europe and as the Evelyn probably
was sunk by mine there is no way
of telling what nation planted the
explosive. 1t may have been a Bril-
fish, Dutch or German mine, as mines
owned by each of these nations have
kbeen washed to the coast of Holland.
, The accident occurred outside of the
war zone proclaimed by Germany.
Secretary Josephus Daniels of the
navy department Monday ordered
Commander Walter R. Gherardi, Ameri
can navel attache at Berlin, to inves-
tigate and make full report on the
destruction of the American steamer
Evelyn. So far official advices mere
ly have reported the sinking of the
vessel and its cargo off the German
coast Monday but gave no details.
& Secretary Daniels explained that
his purpose in directing an inquiry
after the state department had called
upon the ambassadors at London and
Berlin for a report was to secure tech
meal information which, perhaps,
might not be included in the am
'bassador's replies. 1t was, OF course,
understood that Commander Gherar-
di. as American attache at the Ameri-
u.n embassy at Berlin, would be
guided entirely by Ambassador Ger
ard in making his investigation.
- Hard to Obtain Information
1t is said at the navy department
that from present indications it will
be difficult for the naval officer tc Sc
cure exact information of what ac
tually destroyed the Evelyn Unless
CAPTAIN Smith or some of the mem
bers of the crew of the steamship
actually saw the coming tower or
tperiscope of a submarine, officials say,
it would not be possible to deny that
the Evelyn was sunk by mine.
Germans May Assist
The fact that the Evelyn lies at
- The bottom of the North sea would
make it difficult to examine its hull
It was pointed out, however, that
German officials might disclose to the
American naval officer in confidence
the map of their mine fields in the
vicinity where the Evelyn was sunk.
J The minister from The Netherlands
called at the state department early
Monday to inquire what reports this
Government had received regarding
the Evelyn. He said he had no official
report of the destruction of the YES
sci. After comforting with Counsellor
Robert Lansing he expressed the opin-
ion that the sinking must have been
entirely accidental.
First Loss to u. S. Bureau
The Evelyn is the first ship insured
with the United States bureau of war
risk insurance to be lost since the
. new department began operations sew
eral months ago. Insurance on ships
and cargoes amounting to more than
S55,000,000 has been written, with
earnings of more than 100000 IN
premiums. 1t is said that the Evelyn
also was insured by the German gov
eminent.
Germany will not be held to "strict
accountability" for destruction of the
Evelyn at Borkun, if present admins
tration views carry. Practically the
entire redress will be civil proceed
ings by the vessels owners against
Germany if it can be proved, whe;i
the war is over, that Germans place.
the destroying mine.
While the official view Monday was
that this latest incident added to the
gravity of an already delicate situa
ton, authorities held that Germany
had not transgressed the American
"war zone" warning note.-Minneap
oils Journal.
Anx1EDTTcINC WANTED