The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-07-11

ner course to avoid enemy ships.
The Deutschland is no converted
war craft, but brand new commerce
carrier, owned in Bremen and sent
here on purely commercial mission,
according to Henry G. Hilken, SEN
ior member of the Schumacher con-
Germ. She belongs to the Ocean Rhe-
derei, Ltd, Ocean Navigation conf
pany, Ltd.), and was launched at Kiel,
in March.
The novel project was conceived
about nine months ago, Mr. Hilken
said, by F. A. Lohmann, head of a
Bremen exporting and importing con-
cern, who organized the Ocean Navi-
CATION company. Mr.. Lohmann is the
son of a former director general of
the North German Lloyd Steamship
company and has important German
interests associated with him.
The undersea liner, Mr.. Hilken un-
derstands, is about 515 long and 80
feet beam and is propelled by two
great Deinel oil engines. She is as
large if not larger than any of the
German naval submarines. las to de-
tails of her construction, Mr.. Hilken
said he was lacking in information.
Most of the information that was
sent to me-" he said, is probably
carefully tucked away in a pigeon
hole of the British admiralty office,
but l don't care now. The Deutsch-
land is here, nevertheless"
Mr.. Hilken is an American and his
firm has been in business here oper-
ating ships under the American flag
since 1924.
Carl A.sLueoer1tz, the German con-
sui, is a member of the firm.
When the Deutschland will return
or whether it is planned to have her
make regular transatlantic trips, Mr..
Hilken refused to discuss.
"This project was conceived" he
said, "by German commercial inter-
ests who wanted to reopen trade with
the United States. 1t is purely
commercial proposition and that is
all there is to it,
If present plans are carried out,
the public will not be allowed to in
spect the undersea wonder, nor will
anybody except the federal authori-
ties be allowed to board her.
The pier of the Eastern Forwarding
company was boarded up today to
shut out the view of the curious and
the Schumacher firm arranged to
surround the pier tomorrow morning
with Gordon of police.
Six months ago came first reports
that Germany was preparing to put
into the transatlantic trade line of
submarines that would dwarf in size
and achievements the U-boats, which
have been Germany's chief reliance in
her conduct of war at sea. London
cable reports told of the organization
of company to inaugurate such q
service and English experts were
quoted as saying they felt no surprise
at the announcemnt of the plans.
Officials of the Eastern Forwarding
company said tonight that a repre-
sentative of the German embassy
probably would come to Baltimore to
greet the commander of the Deutsch-
land. They were at pains to point out
however, that the embassy would be
interested only informally; that the
submarine was a merchant ship pure
and simple, and as such should re-
quire no diplomatic representations
on her behalf.
The Deutschland is the first vessel
under the German merchant flag to
enter an American port since the
early days of the war. According to
reports, another submarine already is
on the way across, and among the
Deutschland's crew are members of
such vessels built or building, which
will be employed regularly in trans
atlantic trade as long as the war
lasts.
Message From the Kaiser.
Old Point, Va, July S.-The Ger.