The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1915-03-16
CAPTAIN MAKES
A STATEMENT

port until the end of the European
war"
This declaration was made tonight
TO II representative OF the Associated
Press by Captain II. II. kjehne. mas
ter of the American sailing ship Will
liam P Frye. which the German
raider destroyed in the South AT
lantic ocean January 2S last.
Captain Kjehne had just conclud-
ed lii; ar,luOus work here since land l.
ing OH American soil To tell the story
Of his VESSELS fate 10 the world last
Wednesday. lie had badc farewell 20
Commander Thicr:chens. of the Ger
man cruiser. had paid off his crew
and was leaving iu:- Washington 10
reveal the details of hi; ships de-
struction directly to heads Of the
government.
Why do yon make such positive
statement ?" the American captain
was asked
Notwithstanding this the cOmman-
der of the Ethel Friedrich tonight
-ei;cra cd his insisting that ii is his
purpose TO leave American waters as
soon as possible.
Regarding the reasons for the sinl-
ing by the German cruiser of the
American ship Frye. it was reported
tonight that officers Oi the convert
cd cruiser reached q decision after
finding in the Fryc's papers record
that the ship with It's cargo of wheat
was bound for Queenstown. Fail
mouth or Plymouth for orders" Tn
der the British proclamation ON con-
traband. 1t was pointed out. that
foodstuffs were clussed as condition
al contraband if consigned To IL for
tilted port.
Ships Tactics Chnnged.
Captain Kjehne also threw addi-
tional light tonight on the coming Of
the Ethel Friedrich to this Ameri-
can mort and insisted that the Ger
man commander did not choose New
port News hazardly as a port of safe
~.
After February 90" said the cap
tain. "the Germans entirely changed
their tactics. Up to that time. when
eyeEs a smoke smudge was sighted.
there was a cry Of alarm, ALARM
Every man was ordered to the guns
and the ship sailed straight for the
smoke. After the sinking Of the
Wiilerhy. there Was a change.
FROM then on the Friedrich ran
from everything. On this last three
nights | knew that the officers were
getting the wireless from British
cruisers. On the last two nights be-
fore passing into the Virginia capes
the order to TIE crew was. Every
body to the guns: nobody to sleep.
On the last night two OF the British
cruisers were within ten miles OF u.s."
Captain Kjehne said that several
Of the German officers asked him 10
or II days ago II he knew where they
were going to land
Il told them | knew they were go
ing to Newport News, where they
could find good shipyard," said
kjchne.
They they asked me what l CON
sidered the best course to follow 10
escape detention. l told them to hang
to the longitude, right up and then
10 strike due westerly into the coast
That is exactly what they did"
Some Refuse Pay.
fused to accept payment today be-
cause Of decision based on statutory
law. that they were entitled to wages
ouis uutii JdEuuIy 20, lllc uhy tus
Frye was sunk. All other members
of the crew accepted payment under
protest and urged that tho German
go'crninent should pay them for. 4;
days spent on board the raider.
hut DESPITE their shortage of pay
the crew of the Frye tonight de-
inonstTated their reciprocity by
sending with their compliments tC
the German cruiser eight kegs OF
beer for the crew and cigdrs for
the officers mess.
! Board Insppcts Vessel.
! Late today n naval board o
Read Admiral Ifeattlc. headed b,
Naval Constructor DuDOse. inspected
the Eitel Friedrich. They came to the
shipyard from Norfolk. Under regu
lations which require that all war.
ships coming into American ports
he examined, they made survey o
the ship. Naval Constructor DuBose
would not discuss his report which
VIII be forwarded TO Washington al
0nce Tor information In guiding off.
cia.5 with reference to the reques
FOR the Frfedrich's request for time
10 repair his vessel. Other members
OF lie board were Lieutenant Com
mander Norris and Lieutenant AL.
len. ~
Following this inspection. the Elite
Friedrich, having been scraped and
painted below the water line, II was
announced that she would withdraw
| from dry dock tomorrow morning and
move in the shipyard piers to await
Information from Washington as tc
the request for repairs.
Collector of Customs Hamilton to.