The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-20
It All Hinges on Whether an
Armed Merchant Ship Is
a War Vessel, a Point of
Difference Between Ger
many and United States
That Has Never Been
Settled

New York, Jan. 20.-Three Americans
were members of the crew of the British
steamer Yarrowdale, which was captured
by German raider and taken to Ger
man port by prize crew, according to
the records of the British consulate here.
Washington, ID. c., Jan. 20.-The Ger
man admiralty statement that neutral
subjects in the crews of the vessels cap
tured by the German raider in the south
Atlantic had been removed as prisoners
of war will raise complicated question
if any Americans were among them.
The whole question turns on whether
an armed merchant ship is war vessel,
and the gulf between this country and
Germany on that question is still un-
bridged. Americans on such ships could
be considered as prisoners of war only
if the vessels were considered war yes
sells. The state department has held
throughout that vessel cannot be
classed as warship unless it is under
naval orders and naval flag and manned
by a naval crew.
Rio Janeiro. Jan. 20.-The British au
thorities have issued warning to ship
ping companies that the captured British
steamer st. Theodore has been converted
into German commerce raider and is
cruising along South Atlantic steamship
routes Secret instructions were given
the steamship companies regarding the
routes to follow.
Journal Pequeno of Pernambuco as
serts that it has information that one of
the raiders is accompanied by three
small submarines, six metres long and OF
an entirely new type, which do scouting
duty.
The British steamer Oretga, which it
has been feared was victim of the |
raider, is reported TO have reached an
unannounced port in safety.
Washington, ID. c. Jan. 20.-Despatches |
to the state department late yesterday |
from Rio De Janeiro said it was stated
there that the steamer St Theodore. cap
tured by the German raider in the South
Atlantic, armed with two guns and
manned by a German crew. was cruising
as an auxiliary to the raider.
Nine Americans were among the crew
of the British ship st. Theodore, taken
hy the German raider, and landed with
other survivors at Pernambuco on the
Japanese steamer Hudson Maru. Consul
Stewart reported they were all safe and
that SO far as reported no other Ameri-
cans were on the other ships. |,
The state department made public the
following cablegram from the consul, y
dated Jan. is and received yesterday:
Hudson Maru brought 237 st. Theo- !
dorc crew. List shows Americans Ben =
Stevens, Royal Gregory, Frank Magee, G
David johnson. j.. Judy, all colored, and I
Fred Smith, Harry Picot, Guy Vonderon. 9
Minieh shows Charles Jones. No Ameri- !,
cans on other vessels named. All nine I
safe here. r
Survivors state that Yarrowdale, !
ieorgic. Mt. Temple, Voltaire, Snowdon a
Range, King George, one English schoon-
er and one Norwegian were sunk Dec. II,
when 440 were placed on Yarrowdale and
not heard from since"
A dispatch from Mr.. Stewart dated
Dec. 10 and received here Dec. IL says:
Crews of st. Theodore, ramatist. Rad
lershire. Minieh, Netherby Hall, Nantes
md Asniers arrived to-day. Several e
americans Reported no lives lost
The department also received a cable e
rom Consul-General Gottschalk at Rio, \
substantially the same facts .
IS were contained in the exports from :
'onsul Stewart. with the exception that I
iottschalk places the date of the capture $
# the st. Theodore as Jan. and the "
linking of the NIinieh as Jan o. s.