The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-14
GERMANS FLEEING
MALTA CAPTURED
Prisoners Of British Mys.
teriously Procure Supplies
for Trip in Boat.
ITALIANS HOLD THEN
SPECIAL Correspondence 10 Tar srs

'p'SsH' " Nv
ROME, April 20-Two Gerua, ,,.
oners OF war. Naval Lieut.. Henry
Fiheutscher. ar officer from ,u. f,no,.
cruiser Emdcn, and Erues, Plout,. , nv
arrested in Egypt, where me posed a. an
Austrian merchant. ped from Verbal,
prisoners Of war. mostly naval officers
are confined. and succeeded i'm croesins
the Malta channel IN an open boa, and
landing in Sicily. where tho, foil mi,
the arms Of the Italian police
According to the version given hy ,he
two fugitives, On April ? NJ I O'Clock In
the afternoon they climbed over the nius
foot high wire fence surrounding vcr.
dala barracks. which are situated on ,
deserted bay far from any town or vi.
lage In Malta. and after having uur
chased In some mysterious way some
biscuits. a few tins OF condensed milk ,
compass, two blankets II a navigation
chart they found an open boat I'm which
they crossed the channel separating
Malta from the nearest, poin; ~ IA"
Sicilian coast in about tvcnty.four
hours.
They landed at I'unta SArca. near
Mazzarelli. which is furty-hNc miles
from Malta met two Italian custom.
guards. with whom they exchanged
greetings. and after resting for A f,v
hours they walked to tile nearest Sc.
ton and took the train for ModIca
When the train reached Ragusa they
were arrested by the Italian carabin.ers
and handcuffcd.
Evidently their escape had been no.
ticed at one" in Malta. as the italian
police had been notified THAT two CO..
man prisoners would proha hlv arrive A.
syracuse on board the italian sailing
ship san giuseppe. Tho ship wa.
searched on arrival and tho captain ard
crew were arrested and subjected To- tho
third degree, but they proclaimed the
innocence and protested that they had
not aided tho escape of any Germans.
Instead, when tho two 'i,rmaus wo-a
arrested the boat IN which .thcv crossed
over from Malta war found and tho Dis.
CoNsrN made that II was built ia S.cllv
Evidently tho Hrit'sh authorities IA
Malta are not likely 80 'oave hoa's
twelve feet long lying iIst outside Ihe
barracks whore German prisoners are
kept.
II il believed that tho two fugitive.
swan over to the san Giuseppe. nu hoari
which they crossed and from which 'Hov
were landed in a boat when on tho .oJs'
OF Sicily. The provisions and the citar
and cornpass found in the boat prohah,,
we're provided by the Italian sailing SHIN
perhaps also the $3.50 IN gold which
Lieut.. Fiheutschcr had IN his poss, $500.
and which he explained was saved from
his pay.
The Italian Government consented thai
a commission Of british officers from
Malta should come over to Syra,us. ara
examine the prisoners as well as invest
gate the whole case with the object ~
a.. 49,, -. -
had accompliccs. Lieut.. Fiheu,scher.
however. claims that as Italy IS not At
war with Germany he is entitled 10 he
released and that in any case he cannot
he handed over TO the British authori-
ties. The problem does not seem 10 worrv
the Italian authorities, who are kospirg
him in prison ana are prepared To hand
him over ~ their allies as soon as the
investigation and the necessary formal.
ties are concluded,
we are not at war with GERMANY
because Germany did not declare wa, on
us when we declared war on Austria
the Italian authorities informed the Ger
man lieutenant. but We naturally are
not taking any precautions not to o"erd
German susceptihilities les, she should
declare war, In fact our warships atta,N
German submarines. our soldiers capture
Bavariau soldiers who are aidiuy TIE
.\usirians on our front and We are ketu-
inE for Serbia the Austrian and G,iWt.
) prisoners made by the Serbian ann
For the same reason We are kocpInc rru
a prisoner and very probably will ht"l
you over to our allies. who Will have .ui
court-martialled Inc If your couu'r> j.,
offended SO much the better-lct her lee
clare war"
The German officer, who confessed 10
fhn Italian a,,sl,y,tt,- ,L.. 4 .
10 Sicily because he knew that the c'.'
Uy was in revolt owing to the Wa al
that everything was Observation-Disclosures
people starving, the soldiers refusing t.
fight and riots everywhere-was aston
ished that he was arrested and move -
that Italians are no longer ARA -
Germany.