The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-10

prise of the German government is
unfounded.
The only striking thing about our
new merchantmen and the purposes OF
the private company operating 1t. Is
that our boats have a modest way OF
avoiding interference with their pass
age between Germany and the United
States and that they modestly decline
ordinary passenger traffic and in fact
no passengers We can carry the
mails and very valuable merchandise
in small packages
| New Commerce Factor.
The word submarine has up to
now conveyed only the notion of war
and destruction. From today on the
submarine will be known as one Of the
| legitimate agents of commerce, by
which the world is bound closer to-
gether.
In the future" he went on. mo
English man-of-war has the right to
| fire on a German submarine without
first investigating its nature If it is
one of the boats of this line it has as
much claim on the visit-and-search
provision of international law as any
other merchant ship.
And we certainly expect that the
United States, which has laid so much
emphasis on this point in the case of
! merchant ships of the allies. will be
| just as Jealous in protecting our
rights"
Those interested in the boat feared
most for her safety as she neared here.
What If she should have got all
the way across the ocean, 500 miles
and then have had something hap
! pen to her right under our noses ?"
/ one of them said a few days ago
/ The submarine herself is provided
/ with every precaution against just
such an event. She has an emergency
keel weighing considerably over six
tons If she gets caught on the bot
{ tom in any way, or if there is hitch
water ballast, she has simply to cast
off this emergency keel and unless
/ there is something seriously wrong
with her she would rise.
But what if she had crashed into
a rock-or into a ship?" was asked.
Has Two HuIls.
There is even a chance of escape in
that case was the answer. For she
has two hulls- The space between them
is divided into compartments In
some of these is stored the oil she
uses for fuel. Others are filled with
water. at least when she is below the
surface
ships which claim to have sent
submarines to the bottom always
speak of the streak of oil seen on the
| water.
But those in charge of this sub
marine declare IAdI- IN many cases VI
supposed sinking of German subma-
rines only the oil tank was DANA ed
and the boat got away in its bare
skim
One of the most important parts of
this merchant submarines equipment
perhaps the most fascinating of all
lis the small buoy which she carries
in such a way that it can be released
from the inside of the boat.
This is only of service if the boat
meets with a mishap near land. But
in such cases it is invaluable, for it
not only marks the place where the
submarine lies, but it permits of COM
munication with those imprisoned
within it, for it contains a telephone
transmitter and receiver.
She is also provided with heavy
hooks attached to her outer hull. by
which she can be raised. The enor-
nous value of her cargo makes it
certain that, however difficult the at
tempt to raise her might seem, it
would be made. There would be a
greater chance of success in such an
enterprise If she, or any of her sister
ships, were to sink in a German har-
Dor than in an American one. For
the Germans have a salvage dock, the
Vulcan, which proved it's worth by
bring U-boat up from the bottom
of Kiel harbor a few years ago and
rescoing all but a few of the crew.
Her Owners.
The company which owns and oper-
ates the new line Of merchant subma-
rines is the Ocean Rhederei, G. NJ
B. H, or, as tits known in English
the Ocean Transportation company
Ltd Its president is Frederick Al
fred Lohmann of Bremen; vice presi-
dent, Philip Heinekan of Bremen
general manager, Carl Stapelfeldt Of
Bremen; American manager. Paul G
l. Hilken of Baltimore. One large
block of shares has been taken by the
Deutsche bank; another by the NORTH
. German Lloyd, of which Hilken is tn.
! head and Stapelfeldt one of the di
. rectors-
But the largest block of all ha:
been taken by the company OF which
Lohmann is the head-Lohmann &
Company, Boersenhof. Bremen.
Lohmann is the principal owner o.
. the company said Mr.. Hilken H,
stands to win or lose most He is no
/ only risking his money IN the company
as carrier in the hope of sharing IL
the profits that the carrier trade /.
| making during the war. He is alsS
interested in the goods shipped botf
ways and expects to make enormou.
profits by the sale of his cargoes
Whether or not the merchant sub