The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-07-15
SUBMARINE COMMERCE LINERS
FLEET OF THEM TO BE ENGAG.
ED IN TRADE IN SHORT
TIME.
Captain Kocnig Of Deutschland States
That Germany is just Setting Out on
New Phase of Tradc-English Rule
of Seas Broken.

submarine merchantmen Deutschland
tonight was ready to discharge her
100000 cargo and take aboard for
the return trip metal and rubber need
ed by the emperor's armies and navy.
The return merchandise is waiting on
the dock and the time for leaving port
will depend largely upon plans for
eluding vigilant enemy cruisers ex-
pected to be waiting out.ide the en-
trance Of Chesapeake bay.
The daring German seamen who
brought the Deutschland across the
Atlantic slept quietly aboard their vcs-
sci, which lay moored to carefully
screened pier guarded by strong
squad Of Baltimore police. Capt. Paul
Koenig. the skipper. had delivered his
papers to the North German Lloyd
office, entered his vessel at the GUS
toms house as commerce carrier and
had presented to the German embassy
officially q package Of correspondence
for Count Won Bernstorff.
One of Capt Koenig's first acts af-
ter he moved his ship up the harbor
from quarantine early today was to
announce that the Deutschland was
but one of fleet of mammoth SUBJ
mersibles built or building for regu-
lar trans-Atlantic freight and mail
service. He said the next to come
would be the Bremen and that she
might be looked for at some port
along the coast within eight weeks.
Anxious to establish promptly his
peaceful character and to forestall in
vestigation sought by diplomatic rep
resentatives of the allied powers, the
German captain submitted his craft to
thorough inspection by the surveyor
OF the port and an agent Of the de-
partment Of justice. These officers, as
we'll as the customs inspectors and
Quarantine surgeons, agreed that there
was no sign of armament of any de-
scription on board and that there was
no doubt in their minds about the
boat being entitled to the status Of an
/ ordinary merchantmen. -
| Neither Capt. Koenig nor agents Of
the North German Lloyd line. to
whom the boat Is consigned, evinced
the slightest uneasiness over the sug-
gestion that there might be diplomatic
difficulties.
1t was stated on the authority of
the captain that the only arms on
board were four automatic pistols be-
longing to the officers and sports
mans rifle for firing rockets.
This was busy day for the COM
mander At dawn quarantine officers
came aboard. received the bill of
health issued by the American consul
at Bremen and passed the Deutsch-
land into port. Once safely alongside
his dock, Capt. Koenig called his crew
ashore and posed with them for NOV
ing picture and newspaper photogra-
pliers. ~
| Later at the Office Of the North
German Lloyd line he issued O. type
written statement telling Of the COM
Ing of the other boats like the
Deutschland and asserting that his
voyage had broken the British control
of the seas. At the same time, he SUBJ
mitted to an interview in which he de-
scribed his $500 mile cruise from
Heligoland to Chesapeake bay. He
denied reports that he had been
chased on his course by enemy war
ships. The captain asserted further
that his voyage had established the
tact that submarine of the type Of
the Deutschland could travel any
where that an ordinary vessel could
go $4,000 miles. If necessary. He had
eluded enemies that might be waiting
for him off the Virginia capes when
he starts his return trip.
During nearly the entire voyage to
America, said Capt. Koenig, the
Deutschladn travelled on the surface.
once she submerged for ten hours
and lay during that time on the bot
tom of the English channel to escape
British destroyers. Capt. Koenig pi.
ioted his vessel out Of Bremen on
June IA. He went directly to Heligo-
land, remaining there nine days. On
June 20 the trip which ended in Bal
timore today was begun.
After completing the formalities
with the port authorities. Capt. Koe
mig was invited to luncheon as the
guest OF honor of the German club
and there delivered to Haniel Won
Haimhausen, counsellor of the Ger
man embassy. the packet of official
correspondence for Count Won Bern