New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-28
GERMAN RAIDERS
COALED BY TRICK
Sub-Chartering of Neutral
Ships Hid Real Purpose
from Owners.
LETTERS FOUND SHOW
EVASION OF LAW
Investigation Reveals Organized
Plan Here TO Coal Ger
man Cruisers.

further investigation yesterday by
the United States Attorneys office into
the activities Of German shipping men
IN using American and other neutral
ships to coal and provision German
raiding cruisers brought out that many
Of the transactions were carried on
through a dummy corporation.
The Investigators have obtained let
ters, cable messages and other docu-
ments showing that this dummy con-
Germ chartered the ships for apparently
pacific enough purposes. The concern
then turned them over by sub-charter
70 the interests engaged in eyading the
shipping law by means Of false clear
ances and manifests. In this way
yeiI was drawn between the owners
and the real purpose for when the
ships were chartered--to serve VlrIu-
ally as auxiliary vessels for the Gcf-
man navy.
II was said that some OF these docu-
m nts show that the Norwegian steam
g. ips Fran and Somerstad, which sIr
Courtenay Bennett, the British Consul
General, charges the smburg-hmefl-
can Line chartered with the intention
Of using then to send supplies TO the
cruisers Karlsruhe and Kronprinz VIII
!. m, were taken over by suo-charter
from the dummy company.
Il was through Ralph J. NJ. Bullowa.
attorney for Wrangell & Co., owners OF
the Fran. and Captain Grindhelm, her
skipper, that the Hamburg American
officials were trapped into slgninS
agreements to make good any losses 70
the owners in case the ship was dam
aged "by reason Of the attempt to
transfer cargo to German steamer OF
man-of-war."
Mr.. Bu!lowa's suspicious were hrst
aroused when the destination OF the
Fran, which was originally Bahia, was
changed TO Pernambuco. Then, after
the Ship was sub-chartered, man
came TO Captain Grindheim and MADE
offer OF a handsome bonus II he took
ali his orders from a supercargo 20
be- nut aboard by the Encouragement
can Line. Il was minated TO MIN tnst
il was best the owners knew nothing
Of the sub-charter.
The bonus offered was more thsn
81. 900. Grindheim listened to these
overtures without committing himself
and then went TO see Mr.. 8ullowa-
Fine" said Mr.. Bullowa; "let them
think you are on-lead them on until
we see just what is doing"
Things began to get down to a defi-
mite basis. when, at the last moment,
the ultimatum was thrown down for
the German patriots that unless they
signed the indemnity agreement the
whole affair was off. To save the stu
alton, Karl Buenz, as director OF the
Hamburg-American Line, signed the
agreement to make good any damage
from acting as supply vessels to Ger
man warships.
II. Snowden Marshall, United States
Attorney, said, after refusing to dis
cuss the nature of the testimony be-
fore the grand jury: IL think this pros
ecution will put stop TO the shipping
OF contraband from American ports.
The point of the whole thing is the
intention on the part OF the admins
tration to back up its protests against
the seizure of American ships. II 1t
shows it is no longer possible 10 cover
contraband cargoes by false manifests,
there will be more point to the pro-
test"