The Washington times., 1917-01-18

- forced severe hardships. More
- sr. the food served them was utter
~ Inadequate. All the survivors were
ter in their complaint Of ill treat
mt
When the raider left home waters
e carried $50 sailors and four Ger
IN officers. She was well-provision-
but in her combing of the seas has
veral times replenished her stock
{ both fuel and provisions from the
'argoes and larders of her prizes.
The two ships which sailed from
"srnambuco on January 10 and are
row believed also to have fallen vic
lin to the raider are the British
II Gamer Paraguay and the French
i!eighter Admiral Latouche Treville.
10th sailed for Lisbon.
japanese steamer Prize.
Search is being made for these two
'cssels, and in addition British patrol
ships are reported to be diligently
soarching for the raider.
Dispatches from Rio de Janeiro rr-
vaaled that the Japanese steamer Hud
sJn-Maru, which brought in survivors,
vas itself q prize. 1t was officially
stated that the Hudson came into Per-
nambuco under a German crew, with
the German flag flying at her mast
head. Her commander has not yet
made 1t known whether he will intern
With his prize and crew or whether
he will discharge passengers. take
aboard supplies, and make a dash for
the open sea to do raiding himself.
In the meantime the Brazilian gov
Grnment is preparing strictest surveil-
ance to prevent any violation of neu-
trality laws.
The survivors landed at Pefnam-
buco by the Hudson included 1873 Brit
ish and Hindoos, fifty-three French,
md a few additional of various ma
'ionalities. Although all of them had
oeen closely confined aboard their cap
tor, they identified her as a German
cruiser of the Vineta or Moewe type,
but disguised so her warlike char
scter was not revealed.
Fate OF Hundreds UnkROwn.
These survivors do not represent Ey
a great number the total of those
aboard all the ships known to have
fallen victim to the German commerce
destroyer The fate of several hun
dred others is unknown.
From stories told by these survivors
at Pernambuco. the following nara
may be constructed:
The German left KieI a number of
weeks ago and swung directly
southwestward across the path of
transatlantic commerce. Gradually she
worked her search of the seas south
ward, taking prizes right and left.
Several of these vessels the raider
took along with her, putting German
prize crews on board and confining
the captured crews below decks. Fin
ally the St Theodore, a British ship
of about 5000 tons, was chosen by the
commerce destroyer as the fleet ''pris-
on ship" and on board her were trans
ferred all of the survivors.
Despite all precautions, some Of the
survivors managed to witness the Ger
man vessels maneuvers when she cap
tured the French schooner Nantes,
and their story was fully confirmed by
Captain Days of that vessel.
According to their versions, the Ger
man slipped far ahead of her convoy
of prizes, and broke out the British
flag at her masthead. She rapidly
overhauled the slow sailing vessel
and then signaled her to lay to. The
Nantes obeyed-and the moment she
came to a stop the raider hoisted her
true colors, bringing her guns to bear
on the Frenchman. A prize crew was
sent over TO take charge of the
schooner.
Some time later, however, the sail
ing vessel being unable to make the
speed that the raider and her prizes
desired, the vessel was stripped Of
food and supplies, the original French
crew and the German prize crew
taken off, and a hole dynamited in
the vessels bottom.
The German didn't look anything
like a warship," said Captain Days,
"and I had no hesitancy in obeying
it's order to heave to. Besides, I
had no chance to escape, as the steam
er could easily have overhauled me.
Cuts Loose From Prizes.
After the Nantes was captured and
sunk, the survivors were distributed
among the several prizes and finally
all transferred to the st. Theodore
Then, on January IL, the Hudson Maru
was Overhauled, seized, and her Japa-
nese crew confined, a German prize
crew taking their place. At this time
the raider evidently judged her de-
predations on commerce were likely
to have reached the attentive ears of
allied warships dotting the Atlantic,
and she made preparations to skip
away from the hampering convoy of
prizes. Many OF the survivors were
nut aboard the Hudson Maru from
he st. Theodore and the japanese
-eamship headed toward port. What
ecame OF other prize ships which
JAILED along with the raider and in
articular what was the fate of the
:. Theodore was unknown.
The report still persisted in Rio to-
lay that 200 had perished in the sink
ng of some unnamed ship, but neither
he survivors at Pernambuco nor
wireless pleas for information sent
over the seas brought either confirma-
ton or denial
Several Hundred Missing.
The few survivors landed at Pernam-
:ruco do not represent by several hun
dred the number Of those who must
ave been aboard the twenty-four or
'wenty-six vessels captured by the
alder. What has become of the others
e.; not known. They may still be aboard
.;he st. Theodore or some of the other
prizes, headed. under German prize
crews. for other South Atlantic ports.
Many may have perished.
The close. under decks confinement of
the survivors who have already landed
THE WEATHER REPORT.