The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-02
The Remarkable Case OF the Appam.
The appearance Of the missing line

The Remarkable Case Of the Appam.
The appearance Of the missing liner
.Appam under the German flag at
Norfolk is dramatic with a touch of
comedy. There is also an element Of
mystery in It. Long overdue on her
voyage from an African port to Plym-
outh and supposed to have foun-
dered or to have been sunk by Il sub
marine, the Appam was z~igzagging
across the Atlantic with u German
prize crew on board when her British
owners had given her up for lost.
The voyage was an adventure Of
the sen with no parallel for audacity
In any war and the interest of 1t Is
heightened by the of the rap
ture Of the lost ship and the mystery
of her navigation across the Atlantic
despite the patrolling British navy.
1t is the practical Germans who have
furnished the sea romances of the
most sordidly monotonous of all wars
with resources the most meagre and
forbidding.
II turns out that the Appam was
o captured by Il submarine. which
is 10 be regretted, because neutrals
would have welcomed an example of
lawful conduct of submarine warfare
by Germany after a long series Of
aggressions and transgressions that
can never be palliated and have given
her an odious reputation. 1t seems
that the Appam was taken by n con
verted merchant ship, that is 10 say.
an auxiliary warship commanded by
a German naval officer. For the first
time In this amazing war, we believe,
a prize crew was put on board n
captured ship. There was not Il great
deal Of mystery In this arrangement.
MS it will probably appear that the
Appam did not have boats enough Ia
carry her several hundred passen.
gers and sailors. and even the Ger.
mans limit their right to sink mer.
chant ships summarily to submarines
after. In some cases. the crews and
passengers have had time to take To
open boats. Besides, the converted
cruiser was overloaded with non.
cOmbatants Of other captured ships.
There was nothing to do. If the die.
tates of humanity were not to he tx.
nored and the law of nations indie.
fensibly disregarded. but 10 put q
prize crew on the Apram.
4 mystery begins to befoG the
incident when the German captors
decide To navigate the Appam 10 &
port of the neutra! United State,
5000 miles away. They might have
taken her to their base, which per.
hups would have been ever more 70.
mantle. or run into q Portuguese OF
Spanish port. However. an Ameri
can welcome would be warmer and
politically more desirable ~ Tn" Ap-
pam, under British colorS. no doubt,
began her momcntous with |;
corporal's guard Of armed Germans
controlling several hundred unwilling
prisoners. who with half an opportu,
nifty would have turned the tables IN
them. Surely "A situation OF lntens.
dramatic interest. We bow in admi.
ration 10 these brave and resourceful
Germans. For England the case is
u of poignant irony. although Eng,
lishmen might have carried the thin.
on just as successfully and with
even more compOsure.
The German naval men having AR.
rived with the .Appam in a port of
the neutral United States, what is
their status and that of their prize
They have made their bed and must
lie on II. Perhaps the choice of the
United States as n destination was
forced upon them by circumstances.
but 1t will not be a happy choice In
the view Of the German Imperial Gov
eminent. BY Article 81 of the Thir.
teenth convention OF the Second
Hague Conference. 10 which the
United States is a party by adhesion,
with q reservation TO he mentioned.
"a prize may he brought into n neu.
trail port only on account OF unsea-
wOrthiness, stress of weather or want
Of fuel or provisions" and It must
leave as ooN as the circumstances
which justified It's entry are at an
end There a he no question OF
the Appam being sen to a prize court,
because the United States made n
reservation in the case OF Article %
which provided that "a neutral Power
may allow prizes TO enter its ports
and roadsteads, whether under con
voy or not, when they are brought
there to be sequcstratcd pending the
decision Of n prize court" Great
Britain and Japan joined the United
States In %oblecting to this article.
An examination of the :crInon
Prize Code, published on July |, 1919
shows that the Imperial Government
recognizes and accepts tho attitude
~ the United States. So the An.