Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-03
LANSING DECLARES THAT
CAPTURED STEAMER FITS
RULING AS GERMAN PRIZE

tCOuLIHuoQ- ITOIu rage Ou6.D
Breeze, famous as the point marking
the scene of the Merrimac and Mon
itor fight.
Cheers were exchanged by the
crews of the freighters and the Eng
lishmen on the Appam. The freighters
saluted with three resounding blasts
of their whistles.
Lieutenant Berge on the bridge
made no response with the whistle of
his prize.
Newport News, Va, Feb. 3.-When
the former British liner Appam lifted
her anchor off Old Point Comfort early
today to proceed up the James river
to Newport News, there was much &C
tivity among the PA persons who had
been held prisoners of the Germans
and who have been granted the right
to leave the ship. They were anxious
to get ashore and start for England,
whittier they were bound when the
Appam was captured
Pending a further decision by the
state department as to the status of
more than two hundred others aboard
the Appam, these persons faced a long
er confinement aboard the ship. This
decision was anXiously awaited by all
but the members of the German prize
crew because of the indications that
the government would rule that the
Appam was prize of war belonging
to Germany.
The Appam was brought to Newport
News by request of Lieutenant Berge,
the German commander, although gov
eminent officials preferred to have
her moved to Norfolk. Lieutenant
Berge's reasons for making the request
was not disclosed.
With the landing of more of the pas
sengers than those who came ashore
last night, further interesting details
OF the operations of the mysterious
German sea raider were expected to
be brought to light. Captain Harrison
of the Appam, who was thought to
have the best story to tell, was de-
tanned aboard with all the members of
his crew, the Germans having raised
the point that the show of resistance
they made when captured forfeited
their right to be liberated. Twelve
British subjects described by Lieuten-
ant Berge in telegram to Ambassador
Bernstorff, as enemy subjects" also
n hn a
These men are believed to be gun
pointers removed from vessels de-
stroyed by the raider 1t is the Ger
man contention that the Appam came
of the Prussian-American treaty,
which guarantees her to her captors.
The British view is that the vessel
should be returned to her owners as
a prize in accordance with The Hague
convention. AS Germans and British
disagree on this point they also differ
in their version Of the identity of the
raider. Prince Won Hatzfeldt, coun-
selor of the German embassy at Wash
ing, insists that she is the German
cruiser Moewe, while all Of the British
sailors aboard the Appam declare she
is a converted merchantmen of about
five thousand tons named Ponga,
mounting six masked guns of near six
inch calibre and having two torpedo
tubes. The Englishmen believe she is
a new boat fitted out recently as a
commerce destroyer and that she Slip
ped out Of the Kiel canal early in Jan
uary.
The stories told Of the capture of
the Appam do not differ materially. On
Jan. Is, four days out from Dakar,
West Africa. she sighted the German
vessel. She was almost on the APP
pam before Captain Harrison realized
the impending danger. A warning shot
across the Appams bow caused the
liner to stop The raiders forecastle
had been removed, exposing a formula
bic battery. A short time later prize
crew was in possession of the ship.
Berlin Reioices Mt News.
Berlin, Dec. 3, (12:25 p. m)-News
OF the arrival of the Appam at Norfolk
and of the daring raids OF a German
cruiser in the main line OF sea traffic
lnt A fri.