Evening star., 1916-07-29
FRYATT EXECUTION
AROUSES ENGLAND
Bitterness Voiced Over Killing
of Ships Captain by
the Germans.
ACT CALLED MURDER"
REPRISALS NOT HINTED
British Foreign Office Asks Ambas-
sador Page to Get All
Facts in Case.

| LONDON, July 2o.-The morn
ing newspapers today comment
bitterly and at great length on
the execution of Capt. Fryatt of
the British steamer Brussels by
the Germans because he tried to
ram a submarine with his steam
ship. Discussing the legal as
poets of the case, the newspapers,
almost without exception, quote
the United States naval war code
of 1000, article 10, clause 3, which
reads:
"The personnel of a merchant
vessel who, in self-defense, resist
attack are entitled, if captured,
to the status of prisoners of war.
Nevertheless the editorials ad-
NIT that the Germans take a diff
ferent view, and the Daily News,
endeavoring to elucidate the Ger
man viewpoint, says:
"The Germans have always
sought to draw a most implacable
line between combatant and nom
combatant, and in German eyes
the fate of Capt. Fryatt may quite
honestly be logical"
Purpose Of Execution.
This murder has been perpetrated,"
says the Daily Telegraph. "in order to
terrorize British merchant sailors, just
Is one of the anticipated results of the
German submarine piracy was that al
put to sea- But British sailors refuse
s4e -5e' se-rorized."
Although the editorials condemn the
execution of Capt Fryatt in no doubt
full terms. 1t is notable that there is no
demand in any of them for reprisals
The whole of the civilized world"
says the Daily Express. will regard
the killing of Capt. Fryatt as murder,
foul and abominable, but it will be
followed. by no reprisals. We leave
such cowardice to the Teutons But
the death of this brave sailor will add
to the determination to accept no peace
that does not give the allies the power
to punish the Hohenzollern crimes"
The Daily Graphic says: We prob
ably will have no immediate answer
to this dastardly deed. but it will
strengthen the determination to carry
on the war until we are able to insist
on the surrender of the German high
officials who are the authors of these
crimes against the law of nations"
Asks Complete Details.
News Of the execution of Capt. Fryatt
caused a painful Impression at the
British foreign office. Under the in
structions of Viscount Gray. the
foreign secretary, note was dis
patched Immediately to the American
embassy, requesting that James W.
Gerard, the American ambassador at
Berlin, procure complete details of the
affair.
The first intimation of the trial of
Capt Fryatt was called to the atten-
tion of the foreign office by press re-
ports July 18. to the effect that he
was to be tried as the result of finding
on him a watch containing an inscrip-
ton reciting his efforts to ram a
German submarine.
From inquiries made of the owners
of the steamship Wrexham. which Capt
Fryatt commanded when the alleged in
cident took place, the foreign office
learned the captain had with him
neither a watch nor letter to the
effect that he had attempted to ram
submarine with him when he was cap
the charge must have been based on
press reports.
Asked to Provide Defense.
When the news that Capt. Fryatt
was to be tried was received the for
ign Office Immediately sent a note to
American Ambassador Page, request
ing that American diplomatic repre-
sentatives take all necessary steps to
provide for his defense. calling atten-
tion to the fact that the Wrexham' S
act in steering toward the submarine
and forcing her to dive was essentially
defensive and precisely the same as II
she had used the defensive arm which
the United States and Great Britain
hold to be an undoubted right.
No reply was received from Ambas-
sador Gerard. but the foreign Office is
convinced he acted with his usual
promptitude. Therefore, it is their
theory that the trial and execution of
Capt Fryatt was hurried even more
than in the case of Miss Edith Cavell
Besides the original inquiry, the for
eign Office sent two other notes on the
subject to Ambassador Gerard.
Deemed Grave Incident.
Discussing the case with the As
sociated Press. Baron Newton. under
secretary for foreign affairs. who dur
ing the conversation was summoned to
Foreign secretary Greys Office for a
conference on the subject, said:
"On the face of the details of the re-
port as received by US, the explanation
of Capt. Fryatt seems to be worse than
the Cavell case. 1t is an extremely
grave incident, the Importance Of
which it would be difficult to exag-
gerate. 1t must be borne in mind that
when the alleged ramming took place
German submarines were attacking
merchant ships without any warning
whatsoever"
A naval officer said: "The execution
Of Capt. Fryatt Is in violation of all
law and all precedent at sea. 1t affects
every merchant officer in the world
neutral as well as belligerent.
There is no such thing known as
franc-tireur at sea. We have officers
of German submarines whom we have
taken as prisoners of war who ram
med merchant ships without warning
and III sdaupaa 'aeGehant ships without