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

to Il representative OF the Associated
Press by Captain II. H. Kjefne. mas
ter of the American sailing ship Will
liam p. Frye. which the German
raider destroyed in tile South At
lantic ocean January 2S last.
Captain Kjcllne had just conclud-
ed his a-duous work here since land
ing on American soil 10 tell the story
Of his vn.scl':; fate to the world last
Wednesday. lie had badc farewell 20
Commander rhicr:chens. ot the Ger
man cruiser. rad paid off his crew
AID WAS leaving for Washington to
reveal the details Of his ships de-.
struction directly 10 heads Of the
government.
why do you make such positive
statement?" the American captain
was asked.
withstanding this the c0mman-
der of The Ethel Friedrich tonight
reiterated his insisting that IL is his
purpose to leave American waters as
soon as possible.
Regarding the reasons for the sink
ing by the German cruiser of the
American ship Frye. it was reported
tonight that officers of the convert
ed cruiser reached a decision after
finding in the Frye's papers IA record
that The ship with It's cargo OF wheat
was bound for Queenstown. I'al-
mouth or Plymouth for orders" In
der the British proclamation on con
'raband. 1t was pointed out. that
foodstuffs were chssed as condition
al cOntraband II consigned TO for
titled port.
Sb;uv Vnrficv EhnnyaL
Captain Kjchne also threw addi-
tional light tonight OIL the coming Of
the Ethel friedrich to this Ameri-
can port and insisted that the Ger
man commander did not choose New
port News haZardly as a port Of safe
ty.
after February 90" said the cap
tain, "the Germans entirely changed
their tactics. Up to that time, when
ever a smoke smudge was sighted,
there was cry of alarm. alarm
Every man was ordered to the guns
and the ship sailed straight for the
smoke. After the sinking of the
Willerty. there was change.
FROM then OIL the Fr:erdrich 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 ,ne Virginia capes
the order 10 TIE crew was. Every
body to the guns; nobody 10 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 l:new where they
were going 10 land.
Il told them knew they were GO
ing to Newport News, where they
could find good shipyard.'' said
Kiehne. IL
"They they asked me what I con-
sidercd the best course TO follow 10
escape detention. told them to hang
to the longitude right up and then
70 strike due westerly into the coast
Ihat II exactly what they did"
Some Refuse Pay.
Two Of Captain kychne's crew re-
fused to accept payment today be-
cause or decision based on statutory
law, that they we're entitled to wages
only until January rs. the day the
Frye was sunk. All other members
OF the crew accepted payment under
protest and urged that the German
government should pay them for AZ
lays spent on hoard the raider.
But despite their shortage of pay,
the crew OF the Frye tonight de-
monstratel their reciprocity by
sending with their compliments to
the German cruiser eight kegs of
beer for the crew and cigdrs' for
the officers mess.
hoard lnspects Vessel.
Late today naval board of
Rcad Admiral Deattle. headed by
Naval Constructor DuBose. inspected
the Eitel Friedrich. They came to the
shipyard from Norfolk. Under regu-
lattons which require that all war
ships coming into American ports
De examined. they made a survey of
the ship. Naval Constructor DuBose
would not discuss his report which
Will be forwarded to Washington at
once for information In guiding off,
Gals with reference TO the request
or the F'riedrich's request for time
to repair his vessel. Other members
OF the board were Lieutenant Com
mander Norris and Lieutenant AL
len.
Following this inspection! the EiteI
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 TO
the request for repairs.
Collector OF Customs Hamilton to.
day sent Commander Thierichens the
Following letter after he had been In
formed of the tommander's opinion
that 1t would require three weeks to
make his ship seaworthy: ..a,.
March ~, 1915.
The Commander. the German
Cruiser, the Prinz Eitel Friedrich:
Sit Replying further to (. your
letter of March lIth. j have fl,a hon.