The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-02
ENCOUNTER SNAG

United States is beginning to realize
it,"
Commander Yates Sterling, who is
head of the naval station here, ar
ranged to go aboard with his aides, in
conjunction with James McGovern,
collector of customs of this district.
The latter had conferred last night
with Secretary of the Treasury Nc
Adoo, who was at Hartford, regarding
the questions involved in the Deutsch-
lands temperance.
Accepts Dinner Invitation.
New London's citizens made plans
for a public welcome to the Deutsch-
lands captain and her crew. Presi-
dent Alton 7. Miner of the local cham
Der of commerce, with Mayor E. E.
Rogers and a delegation of business
men, rendered Captain Koenig an in
vitation to dinner at date to be set
by him.
The Deutschland captain refused a
plea that he allow the public to view
his craft. None but government or
city officials might enter the enclo-
sure, he said, and the restrictions that
prevailed at Baltimore were placed in
effect again.
DeutschIand's First Trip.
Following rumors many days old,
oft repeated, the Deutschland made it's
first appearance in American waters
at LAS in the morning of July 9 when,
trical storm, the strange looking craft
was seen by a pilot boat as she slipped
into Chesapeake Bay after running the
gauntlet 70 cruisers, standing guard
off the Virginia capes- Her voyage of
approximately 400 miles made with
out a stop at any port established a
| record for craft of the kind. The
Deutschland was soon after picked up
by the tug Thomas F. Tfmmins which
had been at the capes several days
awaiting her arrival, and conveyed her
up the bay to Baltimore where she
dropped anchor that night. On the
! first trip she brought a cargo of dye
stuffs, the value of which was esti-
mated at from 100000 to 100000
The arrival of the Deutschland at
Baltimore created a new diplomatic
problem. Was the ship, owing to its
submarine chara cteristic, to be classed
as a warship or as a peaceful mer-
chairman? The American govern
ment sent naval expert to Baltimore
to investigate. Captain Koenig af-
forded the government officials every
facility and they made thoro inspec-
ton of the craft. The investigation
resulted in the verdict that the
Deutschland was peaceful and I'M
armed merchantmen incapable of con-
version for warlike purposes without
extensive structural changes.
Britain and France Protest.
Representations were made to the
state department by the British and
french embassies setting up The claim
that the submarine was potentially a
warship even tho designed and used
as merchant vessel. The very ma
ture of construction of a submarine. it
was held, made it impossible for sucb
a cra1t TO comply with the require
mentS OF international law. She could
not be stopped and searched and the
representatives of the entente allies
asserted it must be regarded as an
enemy warship subject to destruction
on sight.
The state department, however for
maliy ruled on July Is, that the sub
| marine was entitled to all the rights
and privileges belonging to a merchant
vessel lying the flag of a belligerent
country in a neutral port
Captain Koenig and his men were
iavlshiy entertained during their stay
at Baltimore and the crew made q
brief trip to Washington.
AFTER remaining in American terri
torlal waters about three weeks the
Deutschland, heavily laden with a car
go OF rubber and nickel drew AWAY
from her pier August l and under her
own power sailed from Baltimore on
her homeward journey American
warships Unanswered outside the Vir-
ginia capes to guard against any pos
sible violation of American neutrality
The capes were reached the following
| night with only the faithful tug Tim
minis and newspaper boat in the vi
/ cinity. The vessel arrived at the
mouth of the Weser river on the after
noon of August 20.
There was great rejoicing thruout
Germany and Captain Koenig was or
dered to Berlin to make a personal re-
port of his trip to Emperor William
While no definite announcement of
the Deutschland's leaving Bremen on
a second trip was made reports per-
sisted during the lest few days that
she was again on her way to an
| American port. Several times it was
rumored that the Deutschland had
either been sunk or captured