New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-07
Secretary of War Shows
Embassy's Odenwald
Assertions Inaccurate.
BLIND SHOT FIRED,
DESPITE DENIALS
u. S. Official Warned On ohip
Unless He Wanted To BE In
voluntary Passenger.
fF,om The Tribuu, Bureau

Washington. April 6.-Secretary OF
War Garrison to-day repudiated the az
or,;ors Of the German Embassy tha'
M warning shots were fired at tne
Hamburg-American Line steamship
Odenwald when she attempted 10 eau
A. or.,oros officials at San Juan, PORTO
ptoo ord oscape from the harpor WIN
~ clearance papers, by pupIlshlh7
w. ,ho report OF Lieutenant oolohe'
Rnrnbem. of the Porto Rican reg'me"''
Sha Cerman Embassy made pupllss
..o.oo,ont which was said 10 be prieI
sta.v nhrase ~ a note delivered oy inc
aba.sv IN the State Department; nc
el n.o accounted that when the Oden
uoI which had been detained Ior
49, dava attempted TO leave san 'uan
f III H. shore batteries biazed away
- ~ without even firing the usua'
S al .hot Of warning. The caoled re-
Onrt ~ Lieutenant Colonel burnnl NJ
eeToS within a few hours OF tne i1CI-
49, ~. I'D In the files of the war De
u usrt @ completely confuted THIS as
sertion. II was as foilo"s'
aTbe Hamburg American commerce..
.or Odenwald attempted TO Ieaye
This port about 3 this afternoon ~
o om,' cIearance papers. At request o.
~. ~ Colioctor OF Customs, to preVeh'
a. az rture and in compliance WIN IN
strmctions in your telegram OF marc"
20 warnino shots were fred with ma
oL;ro Gun and one shot across hei
bows with 5-inch rife from III MOTIF e,
G Dom' ~ came to anchor under Il
Ne None was injured. snip re-
tnr,sJ N her anchorage in the haroor::
~ tbe nreqence Of the Collector OF
crstoms on March 10 | personally IN
fo.,,od ard warned the German Con
II ard The commander Of the Oden,
Y 30 that force would be used II
o ", 70 prevent the vessel leaving
without clearance. A..
THE German note delivered at the
State Department was accoHlpanIeN ~
ofidavits from persons ABOARD the
Odenwald in which the circumstances
~ The firing on the vesse we're re- 3,
counted in considerable detail. Inc am
dovits declared that the American mill.
tor, forces on the shore made use Oh
macbine guns and that shots there
rom struck the vessel. They also de-
cIared that the firing continued aIIer
the engines Of the OdenwaId hau peeh
stoned and reversed. 1t made wv
definite requests for an answer , ron
the United States government rIts"
rs to why clearance papers weIe
fnsed and. second, as 10 why there was
continuance OF the hrlhg al'ei TIC
The note, however, admits tne W." go
~ ATTEMPTING to take departure from
Il 81
The statement OF the Dermah AN'
bassy Is as follows:
"The German Embassy has requested
the State Department TO Investigate
the case Of the Odenwald. The cap
lain of this steamer had asked LOT
clearance papers for Hamburg. and the
steamer was searched by order from
Washington twice thoroughly by Gus
tom house authorities. The result OF
The search having been satisfactory
the captain was promised clearance
papers. -t.;. nv
three davs, the captain believed that
the situation forced him TO put 70
sea. disregarding the rules Of the har-
bor' because otherwise the assemoll mig
of cruisers Of the enemy, which had
been informed of his intention, would
have involved the inevitable loss OF
his ship.
"When the Odenwald tried to leave;
sbarp fire was Immediately directed
against her from MORO Castle, with
out the blind warning shot having
been fired, which is usual, according 70
international rules.
"The fire was continued until three
minutes after the machines OF the
Odenwald had been put on full steam
backward II is attributed TO a lucky
chance that by this attack no human
life was lost"
At the Treasury Department to-day
il was said that when the customs Of
icer visited the 0denwald after the
second search Of the ship, on the
afternoon of the incident. he noted
that the ship was making ready for
sea. He was told that II he did not
wish to be an involuntary passenger
he had better hail a small boat and
leave the ship. This he did, proceed
ing at once - point where he could
communicate with Lieutenant Colonel
Burnham, and the instructions 70 the
battery commander followed immedi-
ately.
It was reported to the Treasury De
partment that the Odenwald did not
indicate her readiness to go TO sea
until afternoon of the Saturday pre-
ceding the Sunday afternoon incident.
The custom house was then closed, and
il could not be expected that papers
couId at that time be issued.