New-York tribune., 1915-03-31
BRITISH CAPTAIN
ABOARD GERMAN
SUBMARINE U-29
Won Weddigen Entertain
ed Skipper While Sink
ing His Ship.
ANDALUSIAN BURNED
TO WATERS EDGE
Undersea Craft Commander Says
Vessels Must Do Better than
II Knots to Elude Him.
From The Tribune Correspondent

lFrom The Tribune Correspondent
Liverpool, March 16-"Give our re-
spects TO your MIR. Churchill" These
were the last words Of Captain vor
Weddigen OF the U-29 TO Captain Leon
ard Malley Of the Ellerman liner Anda-
lusian on Friday morning as the crew
Of the Andalusian put of from the sub
marine which had just completed the
destruction Of their vessel.
Captain Malley was able to smile at
the cynical bravado of Captain Wed
digen as he talked to The Tribune cor
respondent in his home near Liverpool
sitting. with a smashed leg In splints
propped up on chair.
'1 was the last to leave my ship" he
said. "snd as I slid down the rope TO
a small boat big wave heaved the boat
up end caught me between the boat ans
the ship and smashed my leg"
A twingle of pain crossed his face al
the recollection. After moment he
added: "The captain of the submarine
took me aboard and down into his
cabin, and we sat there over cigars and
opened the injector valve Of the Anda-
lusian and set her afre.
Got Rid Of Ship Cheaply.
"They did not fire torpedo. as Cap
tain Weddigen said. Opening a valve
and setting the ship afre was much
cheaper way of getting rid Of the ship.
When | went aboard the submarine
thought l recognized the commander
from pictures, and asked him If he
were not the man who had sunk the
Aboukir, the Cressy and the Hogue.
The same he replied. Il was COM
manding the 10 then, and now | have
the U29, which is the last word IN
German submarine construction. We
have two machine guns, instead OF one,
and on the surface we can catch any
thing up TO seventeen knots.
Its no use trying to run away
with a ship like the Andalusian. It's
n damned shame TO send ships to sea
that can't go ten knots
"He was very courteous to us, and
tried 10 be as courteous to him, but l
took the opportunity Of telling him as
politely as / could what | thought of
German policy toward merchant ship
ping. He said: It's our duty, but at
the same time we don't want to take
civilian lives. It's ships we want
"He seemed greatly distressed that
there should be war, but considered 1t
inevitable. It's an awful business,
he said, but | hope II will soon be
over. England and Germany ought to
be allies, not enemies. Just think OF
England, the greatest sea power, and
Germany. the greatest land power, as
allies. We could command The world
Cigars Passed Around.
while l was below with the comman-
der the crew of the Andalusian was
massed on deck of the submarine with
two sailors each with two revolvers
standing guard over them. One of the
officers Of the submarine passed cigars
around among the Andalusian's crew
and they had 70 stand there on the
deck of the submarine for nearly an
hour and watch their own vessel a
couple Of hundred yards away burning
to the waters edge. Finally we were
all put in our own boats and transferred
ito a French barkentine, which in turn
but us aboard a British ship that
landed us at st. Mary's."
The Tribune correspondent asked
Captain Maley is he ever had a chance
Of ramming the U-29. "You never can
ram them he replied, "they will turn
three times and kick you. / would
give few pounds TO any one who
rammed them"
When asked what measures he would
recommend to safeguard merchant
ships against submarines, Captain NAL
ley saiu the best plan is to sail in COM
pany and be conveyed, as has been
done before in wartime. On the last
homeward voyage from Gibraltar Cap
tain Malley said he never saw British
war vessel and on his fateful outward
voyage up TO the time Of sighting the
submarine had not seen British war
ship.
., - MIL