Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-02-03
PAS RELEASED
BY GERMAN Crew
Notified They Are Free to Leave
Captured British Liner-20O
Others Held-An American
on Board-Lieut. Berg Acts
under Collectors Orders

Two hundred and forty five persons
held prisoners by German prize crew
on the former British passenger liner
were informed tonight shat they were
at liberty to land on American soil.
More than 200 others, including the
German captors, the captain and crew
Of the liner and certain passengers
alleged to belong to the armed forces
of Great Britain will be held on board
until the United States government
definitely determines their status and
that of the ship itself.
This arrangement was reached on
orders from Washington after a con-
feence between representatives Of the
German and British governments with
the Norfolk collector Of customs Nor
man r. Hamilton, acting as inter-
mediary.
The captured liner will move up to
Newport News early tomorrow to disem.
bark her passengers. With the others
will land G. D. Tagliaferri, a natural
lied American, of Nevada. the only citi-
zen of the United States aboard. Tag
liaferri, who although carrying his citi-
zenship pares had not made his identity
known. was discovered today by the i'm
migration officers.
Lieut.. Berg, the German reservist COM
mandng the prize crew. still asserts and
maintains full authority on board the
liner. but he is acting under orders from
the United States government through
Collector Hamilton. He has agreed to
move the ship to Newport News and
hold here there pending further develop.
ments.
Immediately after ton;ght's confer
ence a selected group Of Englishmen,
including Sir Edward Merewether. Fred
erick Seton James, Frances Charles Full
Ter, DR.. F. Z. Rice. the Appam's purser,
and the masters of the six British yes
sells captured by the raider which took
! the Appam. were brought ashore to aid
| in perfecting arrangements for the
| landing Of the others on board. Mr.
| James remained at an Old Point hotel
! but the rest of the party returned td
! spend one more night aboard the Ap'
| pam.
over night several boatloads of food
| had been taken aboard the Appam &C
| replenish the larders that were vel
| nigh empty when the ship appeared yes
! terday Permission has been given fol
| the loading of all provisions and water
| necessary, but the question Of full pro-
visoning is held in allegiance with the
| the other problems of the vessels sta
| tus.
Prince hatfield of the German en-
bassy, and Capt. Gaunt, the British at
tache arrived at Norfolk this. morning.
led
rangements for release Of the passen-
gers and British sailors followed rap
idly.
Determined efforts were made by Ger
man guards to keep United states ON
Gals off the liner while Prince Hat1-
! feldt was aboard. immigration lnspec-
| tor Morton of Norfolk. first clashed with
| the guard. Morton brushed past the
sailor and climbed the companionway
! A few minutes later he was engaged IN
| a controversy with the Prince, who took
| him to task for making an inspection
! of the ship yesterday during Lieut.
| Berg's absence. The Prince indicated
| that he expected to take the matter ur
| with Washington, but afterwards agreed
| that it was not important.
| During Morton's inspection today he
discovered the American. Tagliaferri. a
miner who had shipped from Seccond
| on the Appam for Liverpool on his way
| to his home in Nevada. Up to the time
Morton appeared Tagliaferri had not
| indicated to the Germans that he was
citizen of the United States. but he
| promptly displayed his second papers
| showing full fedged citizenship to the
| inspector, and asked for freedom. In
spector Morton presented written de-
| mand to Lieut.. Berg for the mans re-
lease and reported the matter to Wash
ington. Before the state department
had taken any action arrangements had
been made for the release Of the pass
engers.