The Sentinel=record., 1915-03-14
WILL REPU0lATE THE ACTION OF GERMAN CAPTAIN IN SINK
 ING AMERICAN SHIP.
NO ISSUE IS EXPECTED
United States and Germany Are in Ac. cord on the Question of the Ship ment of Foodstuffs From a Neutral Country to Civilians.

Washington, Marca l3--Germany probably will repudiate the action of the captain of the Prinz Eitel Fried rlch in sinking the American ship Will. liam P Frye and make reparation for the loss of the vessel and cargo, in| the opinion Of German officials here.
 Inasmuch as the United States and Germany are in accord on the ques. ton of shipping foodstuffs from a neu. tral country to civilians in belligerent territory, no issue is expected to be raised by Germany over the right of the cargo to be sent to it's destination without interruption
 Count Bernstorff the German am bassadOr after d visit to the state de. partment today, indicated that he be- lieved the case would be settled with out much difficulty. He told Counsel Tor Robert Lansing what the captain of the Prinz Eitel had told Captain Boy-Ed, the naval attache of the Ger man embassy, as to the sinking of the American ship, but the ambassador re- served his own opinion on the action Of the commander, saying he had no instructions from his government
 Captain Thierichens of the Prinz Euel informed Captain Boy-Ed that his only guide while at sea and for many months out of communication with his government was the declara. tiOn of London. This would permit the destruction of neutral prize if carrying a cargo more than half of which could be proven to be contra. band, provided it was impossible to take the vessel to home port with out endangerng the captor warship.
 Since the outbreak of the war the German government has defined it's views on shipments of conditional con. trahand and has argued that food stuffs must be proven without any doubt to be bound actually to the bel. ligerent forces of an enemy before they can be seized.
 The German ambassador sent a full report 10 his government on the story of the German captain and the req sons for the latter s action at the time.
 It was said on good authority that, in his report to his government Count BernstOrff has pointed out that while the captain acted as best he could under the circumstances, being igno. rant of the status of the contraband situation this would be an important factor in relieving the commander al .I affect the necessity for the payment of damages and the making of repara- ton by the German government.
 w D. Sewall of Bath, Maine, owner of the Frye, and Captain Hienhe, it's skipper, conferred at length with off cials of the treasury and state depart ments. The captain turned over to the American government copies of the ships papers. The German cap. tain withheld the originals in accord with his rights under international law, state department officials said
 Counselor Lansing said nothing had been brought to his attention which had not already been disclosed in the press dispatches. Captain Kiehne had denied the story of an attempt to ram his vessel MT Lansing said.
 The question of damage was dis. cussed briefly between the owner of the Frye and state department off cials, who indicated that if the sink ing of the Frye was proved to be an aggravated case, punitive damages in addition to the value of ship and cargo might be asked They pointed out that England paid p per cent, punitive damages in the famous Ala bama case during the civil war but added that d final decision in tIeI present case had not been reached
 State department officials said the| next step would be the drafting of a formal claim, which could not be com, pleted until definite information had been received from the owners of theI cargo.
 Although navy department officials had under consideration the time to be given the Prinz Eitel for repairs, no announcement on the subject was made. At the state department it was said, all neutrality phases of the case practically had been disposed of.
 The report that two Germans taken off the American ship Frye had been held by the commander of the Prinz Elite. for military service was brought to the attention of Counsellor Lan.