Evening star., 1916-04-13
Says Berwindvale Ran Away.

1.-The undersigned has the honor tt
inform your excellency, Ambassador
Gerard, in response to communication:
of the 29th and 30th ultimo and the Sc
instant, regarding the steamers Sussex
Manchester Engineer, Englishman
Berwindvale and Eagle Point, that the
mentioned cases, in accordance with
our notes of the 30th and 31st ultime
and the 4th and 5th instant. have beer
subjected to careful investigation by
the admiral staff. of the navy, which
has led to the following results:
| "First-The English steamer Ber.
windvale. The steamer which was pos.
sibly the Berwindvale was encountered
the evening Of March 16, in sight OF
Bull Rock light, on the Irish coast, by
a German submarine. The steamer, as
soon as she noticed the submarine
which was running 'unsubmerged. turn,
ed and steamed away. She was ordered
to halt by warning shot. She paid nc
attention, however. to this warning
| tempted to escape. The vessel was then
| fired upon until halted and, without
further orders, lowered several boats
After the crew entered the boats and
| received enough time to row away the
ship was sunk.
THE name of this steamer was not
| established. 1t cannot be stated with
assurance. even with the help of the
details which were furnished by the
| American embassy. that the above de-
| scribed incident concerns the steamer
! Berwindvale. Since, however. the
steamer sunk was tank steamer ike
the Berwindvale. the identity of the
| ship may be assumed. In this case.
however, the statement made that the
Berwindvale was torpedied without
warning would conflict with the facts.
Two Warning Shots Fired.
"Second-The British steamer Eng
lishman. This steamer on March "a
was called upon to halt by German
submarine through two warning shots
about twenty sea miles west of Islay
(Hebrides4 The vessel proceeded, how
ever, without needing the warning and
was therefore forced by the subma-
rine by artillery fire, to halt after an
extended chase: whereupon she lower
ed boats without further orders.
after the German commandant had
convinced himself that the crew had
taken to the boats and rowed from the
ship he sank the steamer.
"Third-The British steamer Man
chester Engineer. 1t is impossible to
establish through the investigation up
to the present whether the attack on
this steamer. which. according to the
given description, occurred on March
-. in the latitude Of Waterford, is at
tributable to a German submarine. The
statement regarding the time and
place OF the incident gives no sum. !.
cient basis for investigation. IL Woulo
therefore be desirable to nave more
exact statements of the place. time and
attendant circumstances of the attack
reported by the American government,
In order that the investigation might
tnereupon be brought to conclusion.
Fired Upon Until Halted.
"Fourth-The British steamer Eagle
Point. This steamer in the forenoon
of March % was called upon to halt by
a German submarine, through signal
and shot, about 1O0-not 130-sea miles
from the southwest coast of ireland,
but proceeded. She was thereupon fired
upon until halted. and. without further
orders. lowered two boats. in which the
crew took their places. After the COM
mandant convinced himself that the
gotten clear of the steamer, he sank
the steamer.
"At the time of the sinking a north
northwest wind of the strength of two.
not "a heavy sea- as stated in the given
description, prevailed. The boats,
therefore. had every prospect of being
picked up very quickly because the
place of the sinking lay on much
used steamer path.
IF the crew of the steamer used only
two small boats for saving themselves,
the responsibility falls upon them
selves, since there were still upon the
steamer, as the submarine could estab-
lish, at least four big collapsible boats.
Denies It Was Sussex.
"Fifth-The French steamer Sussex.
Ascertainment of the fact whether the
channel steamer Sussex was damaged
BY German submarine was rendered
extremely difficult because no exact
details of time, place and attendant