Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-28
NAVY oFEICEns REFUSE
TO COMMENT, ON DENIAL

NORFOLK. VA, July o7.-Navy of
hccrs who were aboard the Louisiana
last Tuesday night when n vessel with
in the capes was reported TO nave
signaled that she was an English
cruiser" today received the statement
of Sir Cecil Spring Rice without com
ment. insisting that ii would be mani
fcstly improper under the circum-
stances for them TO say anything
From other sources, however. IL was
learned that there was no disposition
on the part OF any OF the men of tho
Louisiana who originally averred they
saw a ship which signaled that it was
an English cruiser" TO change their
stories. On at least two points-that
the unidentified ship had the general
outlines of cruiser. and that she
siGnaled she was one-at least five OF
them will agree, 1t s said. Some OF
tho other three are understood TO insist
that they saw certain other details
about the ship which convinced them
that she was man-of-war.
The most perpleXing problem now
confronting government officials who
are investigating the incident Is to
establish the identity of the mysterious
ship, If she was not an English cruiser,
officially denied.
SIGNALS AND LIGHTS
SHOW SHE WAS WARSHIP
That she was a warshp is obvious
from the signals and lights she dis
played, 1t is insisted. and government
officials thus far have been unable tn
ascertain that any warship save the
United states collier Neptune was in
the capcs at the time the signals wera
said to have been seen. Suggestions
- Il;
as Il joke, which have been made. were
NJ once discarded on the theory that
no ship would he guilty of such a Sc
rious act at this time. with the cape5
husSed by foreign warships. Persons
on the louisiana also have said that
they saw and recognized the Neptune
nearby shortly after the unidentified
ship passed
Mystery WAS added to the situation
to-day before collector Hamilton by
developments u, an inquiry into the
movements of tho Tibagy. a Brazilian
merchant vessel, which some thought
might have been mistaken for a cruiser
The Inspector was closeted with tho
two officers of the Tibagy and an in
terpreter for more than an hour. lie
refused 10 discuss their testimony, but
they later talked through a third per-
son.
NO ATTEMPT MADE
10 ANSWER SIGNALS
Captain Soares. of tho Tibaey, de-
clared that he sieualed no vessel with
in the capes, that he did not sight the
Louisiana, nor did he carry blinker
lights. through which, persons aboard
the Louisiana aver. came the signal
English cruiser" The only lights on
board beside his regular signals for
a merchant ship within the capes. he
declares, were electric bulbs on his
mast behind a board out Of which were
cut the letters forming the word
Brazil" lie was or the opinion that
these letters could not have been mis-
taken for blinker lights He saw sons
vessels signaling him with the Morse
code, he thought. but as IL was not
understood on board his vessel, no at
tempt Was made TO reply TO II.
1t developed also that. the TibaGy
passed into the capes about o'clock,
or soon after the Louisiana entered. In
stead OF IL o'clock. as had been pre-
viously officially reported.
With strict enforcement of neutrality