Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-11-04
GERMAN CONSUL
PUTS fine upon
GERMAN SAILORS
Men Who Preferred Working
Ashore to Being lnterned
Ordered Punished "
Especial Star Bulletin Correspondenee) :.

Especial STAR buhcIln SOTreSpOu0cuCtJ =
HILO. Nov. 3.-Some time ago four
of the engineers staff Of the German
war-bound steamer o.. ]. ID. Ahlers
! left their floating home and tried to
get work ashore. They succeeded and
seemed happy enough in their employ
ment instead of rusting out in the
bay on the steamer. That arrange
ment semed to be all right until the
German consul in Honolulu took up
| the matter and sent one of his staff
to Hilo to hold sort of court-martial
on the four men. .......
On Thursday last the ''court-mar-
tial' was held and the four young
men, who had been summoned by let
ter to appear before the consular rep
resentative, did so. =:
The four ''deserters" appeared be-
fore the agent of the consul and what
they had to say about their desertion
was taken down They told their
story but the court" decided that
they were at fault and inflicted fines
that ranged downward from 200
marks. ILL.,. ..".> ....,* II.
AS soon as the fines were announc-
ed by the court" the young fellows
walked off for consultation. The
quartet then made its way to the dep
uty collector of customs office and
there petitioned to be allowed to en-
ter the United States in the legal man.
ner. They were cross-examined and,
upon being found good material for
citizens. were entered on the books at
once. They now cannot he touched
except through the federal courts, and
there is not much chance Of that
course being taken with success.
| When shown the above despatch
from the Star-Bulletin's Hilo CORES
pondent, German Consul Georg Rodiek
today confirmed the story. From his
secretary. H. August Schroeder, who
went to Hilo to conduct the trial and
fine the sailors, further particulars
were learned. ~ @.....
In May, 1915. the fourth engineer of
the Alters asked for leave of absence
to accept position wHhthe Hilo Rail-
way. 1t was given hinEby Captain Fl.
Eelbo, the freighter's commander,
with the understanding that he return
to duty on the steamer whenever his
services were required. The engineer,
| D. Coldeway, signed a written agree
ment to this effect
On May %, 1916, Captain Eelbo re-
quested Coldeway to return to his
ship to help make SOME urgently need
ed repairs. The fourth engineer re-
fused to do so/ and in consequence
Captain EelDo appealed to the German
consulate in Honolulu for a trial OF
the man, who became deserter by
his refusal to come back to his old
job.
The other three deserters left the
Alters June of this year. Their
names are F. Chord, o. Hermann and
F. Steengrafe At the trial of the
quartet in Hilo the fourth engineer
Coldeway. was fined 200 marks, Chord
/ 100. Hermann 100 and Steengrafe 135.
Captain Eelbo, according to Schroe-
| der, who is secretary of the German
consulate in Honolulu, asked that the
deserters be only fined and not SEN
fenced to Imprisonment. This was ac-
cordingly granted, although under
| Section SO. paragraph 2. of German
Seamen's Regulations issued June 2,
1902, desertion or absconding from
| German merchant vessels is punish
able by a fine not to exceed 300
marks and Imprisonment for a period
not over three months. -.
According to German Consul Georg
Rodiek. the four deserters could not
have escaped punishment by taking
j out first papers in American citizen
ship. as they have done Until their
final Lapers are granted they are still
subject to German seafnen's regula-
tons. AS only fine has been i'm
posed, however. the matter will be
dropped. as the captain does not de-
sire to have the men imprisoned.
i Under Article IA Of the Treaty Of
1871 between the United States and
the German Empire, German consuls
who are representatives in the United
States of the German Empire may ap-
ply to United States authorities for
aid in capturing deserted German sea-
men. After the seamen are found by
the u. S. shipping commissioners to
be deserters they may be held for a
period not exceeding two months. in
which time the German consuls are
required to find an opportunity to
send them back to Germany for trial
This article has never been repealed.
II ..-