Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-03-11
viii Probably Demand
Damages and ExpIana-
ton by Germany.
GERMAN CRUISER IS
LIKELY TO BE INTEREED
Establish Fact That Three War
ships Chased Prinz Eitel
to Port.
BOARD OF NEUTRALITY
WOULD PERMIT REPAIRS
Captain of Converted Liner An
nounces That He Sank
Eleven Vessels.

=
dent Wilson announced today tkak :
searching inquiry viii be made zr<1
the sinking Of the American esi1sr.z
ship William P. Frye by the eersnzr
auxiliary cruiser Prinz Eitel Fried
rich. This statement was issuea q
the White House:
most searching inquiry VIII -
made. and whatever action Is tztsrz
VIII be based Hpon the result or xh..<
inquiry"
Discussion Of the affair A orFs<<f. 4
quarters was taken to forsehado.z
strong protest to Germany agazrizz
tne sinking Of the American vessel.
The contention OF the German corn
mander that the American shin hr.S|
eontraband OF war aboard and there
se-e asstTuctfon was Justified hSE|
been get up as plea in otfiev cases
but never has been recognized bx me
United States as the only ,ustifIca.-
ton for such action on the psrr al
a beiligerent.
The fact that the Pr1ns E.ke=
Friedrich was commanded BY q Ger
man naval officer. under connissfor,
from the German government au&
the Iact that no lives were lost wk<E
the Frye WAS sunk, Transferred a.
case from the realm OF criminal r,7-c-
ceedings under the Federal s<1.fss<<.s
unoer a possible charge Of piracy. Ard
makes It a subject OF dipIcmatlc sssz
sotaarons with The object OF nzlninz|
reparation for the owner ara 4 go
ciaAner OF unfriendIiness.
Q. $. TO Asa Ezpianstisu.
That the. United States would axk
/ Tor damages and an explanation n on
the German government was res Il =
as certain. Some officials thourhr =, ;I
German government would fsnd f1xo<{|
compelled to repudiafs the act Of fh<|
herman captain or abandon the posi=I
tlon taken by Germany In reeent cor
respondence with the United State
on tne subject Of Conditional confra
oand and foodstuffs Precedeurrs RI
/ international law reveal that The .rf.-/
cumstances under which neutral r<srz-
ernments have acquiesced In The de-
struction Of their vessels In time "a
war are very few.
The general rule that has been ar-
piled is that a belligerent warst{zz.
must take Its prizes into port. un1arz<.I
there are controlling reasons, such 4 r
unsea worthiness, lack of prize crew
Danger OF recapture. and the preeenc
on board OF cargo Of contrabara
which would make certain its CIR,
demnation by a prize court. Tsf</
commander Of the belligerent vessel
must preserve the neutral sh ps pa
pers and bring them TO a prize cof1fs !
for the entering OF a decree.
In the Russo-Japanese war. r.
United States protested TO the Rus
sian government against the siialsue<<
or the British steamer KNIGHT Con.9E
mander. with an American cargo. FL
far eastern waters. The crew tesfi-/
fed that the vessel had been sunk for
want Of coal TO proceed TO vladivos-
tock, and the United States conxisz-
cred that the sinking OF the vexse1
was not Justified by the bare fecfz|
that there was contrabsnd Of vs.
aboard.
Believe Case Strong One.
The fact that wheat is conditiena
eontraband. that a ship would 81
liable to condemnation only II
were proved that its cargo VA
destined to the beIilgerent foress ID
an enemy. and that no oppcrgunltr
was afforded for the furnishing 81
/ evidence, make of1cials believe thz
l lAAN NEAcC u NAAC GIAlcu ElAb6M 41E-|&-
| Germany is strong one.
During the Russo-Japaness waz
Great Britain maintained a long ar,f
vigorous correspondence with RusstnI
on the right OF captcr OF q neutra.
ship to sink 1t If 1t was difficuif On
| impossible to take It into port. Graz
| Britain declared such Fneasuree
would occasion a complete par4IY-
SIS of all neutral trade" and char
acterized them as contrary 70 &C.
! knowledged principles of internAkfou-
al law and ''intolerabls to all neu4
! trails"
! ]. Bassett Moore, former counsesor
Of the State department.. reviewIn<
those discussions. said the corre-
| spondence served to emphasfze fnS
potentially important relation Of th
| question Of contraband to the ouos
ton OF destruction"
When publicists have spoken g.
! the pre- sence OF contrzban6, al
wrote, 'as justifying or sxcus1nR khz
destruction of q neutral ship fF74<
could not be brought IN. they hax8|
no doubt. had in mind czrzoss cora
posed of things specially adapsed "a
use in war and confessediy contra
band, such as arms and Ammunition
| and cannot be assumed 70 have cr11-
| tenpiafed the subjectson Of ueufrn
commerce to general depred4fl3r
under an extension OF the cafeEor5n1
OF contraband."
1t was believed this would ~ q
position assumed by the unIt64
states IN its correspondents w<t<
| Germany
! That at least three British war
ships were in pursuit Of tina Ez<1
Friedrich when she reached Au<rI1ez
waters early yesterday morning 641
one OF the sunken British sh1c1
board the commander OF tht Ef<E
stated that judging from Wire{<1
interchangss OF the British ships. o<z
was within ten miles, the other with