The Washington times., 1916-02-03
OFF Newport News.

Off Newport News.
The Arpam arrived on Newport News
at IL o'clock this morning. anchoring
near two German merchantmen.
The liner was Immediately surrounded
hv ship chambers and launches. Capt.
!. T.. Williams. immigration officer.
went aboard. A few minutes later Col
lector Hamilton arrived from Norfolk,
going. straight to his office in the Gus
tom house.
Tho Appam has come here to dis
charge hcr passengers" said Mr.. Ham
ilton. How am treating her? Well
he smiled. II am treating her as a Brit
tsh merchant shin that has arrived here
living the German naval ensign. under
command Of a man who asserts he is
He added that tho State Department
had not officially ruled on the liners
status. He said Captain Williams, OF
the immigration Service, was to be in
charge OF the landing of passengers, and
that. with the exception of the German
against whose landing the Germans
have protested. everyone is free now to
60 ashore.
Until all the Questions regarding the
status Of the liner Ead been decided by
Washington. the Appar will remain In
American custody.
Mr. Hamilton said that an Old Dominion
liner was to come alongside at o'clock
this afternoon to take the crews of the
Sunken British steamers to Norfolk.
Thence they will sail for New York,
and be returned to England.
Sealed In Bond.
The collector said that, with the ex-
reption of the British colonial officials
whose luggage is particularly heavy. all
IN
through customs.
The luggage may be sealed here in
bond. sent to New York. and put
aboard the steamer on which they sail
to Europe.
Capt Guy Gaunt, British naval at
tache. is looking out for the landing OF
the British passengers: J. S. Andrews.
acting appraiser of the port. will be in
charge of all luggage inspections.
The shifting OF the vessel today is the
latest in a series of rapid developments
in the case which began late yesterday
afternoon.
This followed official action by tho
state Department. and a series OF con-
fcrences between Collector OF the Port
Norman X. Hamilton. Prince Hatzfeldt.
and Lieut.. Hans Berge. commander OF
the Apparn. or the one hand. and the
collector. capt Guy Gaunt, British
naval attache, and skipper II. G. Har-
rison. the vanquished English captain
Of the captured liner, on the other.
Those Released Yesterday.
II resulted in the unconditional re-
lease last night of several of those held
aboard the Appam. including:
Sir Edward Mereweather. X. e. NJ. g.,
f. C. V. O., British governor general
OF Sierra Leone, and Lady Mereweather;
Frederick Seator James. G. NJ. G.. sec
retary administration of Nigeria; Col
ony Chief Fuller. of Ashanti, Gold
Coast, and Mrs. Fuller; Evan Jones.
master steamer Trader: Ralph IN
feates. master steamer Author: David
Bartol. master steamer Corbridge: Rob
ert Rend. master steamer Ariadne; John
Crockett. master steamer DhOmonby,
and John L. Jones, master steamer Far
ringford.
The release Of the crews of the ves-
sers. all of which suffered capture ny
the Moews. will come some time today,
together with the landing of the rem
nsnts of the crew of the il\fated Clan
MCTavlsh. the Australian meat ship.
which was sent to the bottom off the
ranary Islands the day the ocean-wide
flight OF the Apram began.
After the British officials and ships
captains had returned to the Appam
last night from the conference at the
Chamberlain, it was announced that
any fi'5t-class passengers who so de-
sired hight go ashore at once.
VIII Sail saturday.
A launch had been kept waiting by
the Elder Dcmpster Company, repre-
senting the Apam's owner. and she i'm
mediately went alongside the prize.
Several passengers Immediately went
a board and were taken to Norfolk.
They plan to leave there today for New
York. to sail for England on a ship of
the same line as the Apam, which is
~
Most OF the passengers are still
q board, however. Mr.. James and a few
others put up at the Chamberlain last
might. The shippers Of the sunken ves-
sells. however, returned to the Appam
to spend the night.
The landing Of most of the prisoners
'Iom tho Appam, while partially dis
yelling the mystery which the young
German prize officer wrapped about his
craft upon her unheralded arrival here
un Tuesday morning, and. which he
severely mainta ined until last night. has
not. however. In the opinion OF officials
here. cleared the international obscurty
OF the case in the least
It Is pointed out that the instructions
sent to port officials by the State De-
parment late yeserday indicated that,
SO far as the United States Government
was concerned, all aboard the Appam
might land. with the exception OF her
prize crew.
regsrd as units Of an armed belligerent
force
When Prinz Won Hatzfeldt. the coun-
Selor from the German embassy. learned
OF this. 1t is said that he Immediately
protested against the landing Of four
British army officers who chanced to
be among the Captives. including Lieu
tenant Fox. secretary to Sir Edward
Mereweather, and to the landing Of
the original crew of the Appam.
The crew. he contends. in resisting
capture" had constituted itself in the
ewes of international law an armed
bClliGerent force.
Together with these points there stllI
remains to be settled the question raised
by Prinz Won Hatzfeldt that Germany,
in the matter of the Appam. will stand
upon the provisions of Article 10 OF the
treaty of 1855 as revised in 1872; not to
mention the final disposition of the
Appam herself. for the surrender of
which, a demand has already been made
by the British representatives.
And practically every one of these
questions will have to be met and
answered by the State Department be-
fore the sojourn of the Appam here can
he regarded as a closed incident.
Compromise Reached.
The events leading up to the partial
clearing of the official atmosphere, be-
logged b. the presence of the Appam.
trod fast upon one another's heels fol-
lowing tho conferences on board the