Evening star., 1916-07-30
APPAM
TO Be CONTINUED
Germans Will Appeal From
Judge WaddiII's Award to
English Owners.
SHIP MAY BE RELEASED
IF PROPER BOND IS GIVEN
Kaiser's Embassy Withholds Com.
ment Until Text of Decision Is
Received From Norfolk.

NORFOLK, Va, July 29.-Possession
Of the British liner Appam. brought
into Hampton roads last February by
day to her English owners. the African
Steam Navigation Company. by Judge
Waddill of the federal district court.
An appeal will be taken when the op-
portunity Is given next Wednesday and
the final decision In the libel pro-
ceedings probably will be given by the
supreme court.
In the meantime the Appam will stay
At Newport News in the custody Of the
United States marshal. or will be turned
over to her owners under bond. Her
cargo has been sold for $534,000 and
the money Is being held by the court.
What is to become Of Lieut.. Berg.
the prize commander. and his crew Of
twenty-five men must be determined
by the State Department at Washing
ton.
Think Crew Will Be Interned.
They have been living aboard the
Appam. claiming her as the property
Of the German government. but the
general belief here is that they now
will be interned along with the men
Of the German raiders laid up here.
Judge Waddill's decision, given after
months of consideration, held that the
Appam lost her status as a prize when
she entered american territorial wa
tiers to remain indefinitely. He re-
jected the German contention that the
Prusslan- American treaty Of 1893 per-
mitted German prizes to be laid up in
American waters. and held that prizes
could be brought in only by a war
for the temporary causes recognized
by international law. An opinion given
by Secretary Lansing to the German
ambassador to the same effect was
quoted at length by the court.
decision by a German prize court
that the -Appam was a lawful prize was
held to be without effect upon proceed
ings Of the courts of the United States
The same German court recently ad-
gold taken from the Appam when she
was captured OF the coast Of Spain by
the raider Moewe.
No Comment From German Embassy.
RYE. y Y. July 2s-The German
summer embassy here learned Of the de-
cision in the Appam case through press
dispatches transmitted to Prince Won
Hatzfeldt. an embassy counselor In the
absence or the fuH text of the decision
official comment was withheld 1t was
learned. however. that there is every
likelihood Of an appeal being taken.
1t was pointed out that technically the
action in the Appam case involved Lieut.
Berg. the vessels captor. and not the
German government. and that the aues-
ton of an appeal rested with Lieut..
Berg's counsel.
''Of course said Prince Won Hatzfeldt.
the embassy is interested in the case
the outcome of which is rather unex-
pected. The decision appears to invali-
date the Prussian treaty. the binding
power Of which was to us too certain.
The embassy will give more than
ordinary attention to this feature of the
case.
Will Move for Formal Release.
NEW YORK, July 29.-Daniel Bacon,
representative here of the owners of the
Appam. said that while he had not rs
yet been officially advised. news of the
courts decision was very pleasing. He
added that efforts would be made to
obtain formal release OF the Appam.
whereupon she would be restored to
trade as quickly as possible. 1t Is pos
sibIe. however. Mr.. Bacon said. that the
court proceedings may be continued by