The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-02-06
Captains Got Advance News
Of Break From Washing
ton by Code.
DISMANTLED ENGINES
AS DUTY TO KAISER
U. $. Neutrality Squads on
Piers as Aliens Ply Axes
and CrOWbarS.

Engines in every German and Aus
trian ship imprisoned in New York har.
Dor by the british navy have been de-
l'berately wrecked Officers Of German
blood who know the truth estimate that
Ho,0oo,O0O worth of irreplaceable ma
rine machinery was smashed or made
useless in the few hours before Count
Won Bernstorff delivered to the Govern
men, of the United States the defiant
message from Germany.
Sabotage on scale so magnificent is
~s,nout parallel IN history. without
the slightest hesitation, and on the mere
hint from high officials whose hints are
never sighted, the persons in authority
delivered 10 axe and crowbar the finest
products of the marine machine shops
Of Hamburg and Bremen. There was
no questioning or reluctance. The ruin
was ordered as a duty to be endured for
the good Of the fatherland.
The German conception of patriotism
was the impellng motive for the fright
ful destructiveness that obtained in the
the United States neutrality squad and
poll emen patrolled the piers of Ho-
boken and Manhattan as unaware OF
what was going on as il they had been
IN Alaska.
Big ships No better Than Hulks.
The German powers that be glanced
20 nf hn
war may be declared to exist between
the Central Powers and the United
States. perceived the probability or at
least the possibility that their merchant
fee here would be used to carry food
and supplies to England. their most
hated enemy, and promptly did their
best 20 make the big ships no better
than hulks The work of destruction
Nos sgnalled and executed secretly,
smoothly and effectively.
Long before the telegraph flashed from
Washington on January 81 the news
that thrilled the nation German shipping
interests here were aware of the pur-
port of what Won Bernstorff was to hand
IN the SECRETARY of State and were under
m Illusions as to probable consequences
In apprehension OF just such situation
of Time when the engines had TO be
put out OF commission IL opportunity was
not TO be surrendered permanently-a
code had been arranged. 1t was impos-
sne to use the telephone. The persons
with the right TO give orders were aware
that the telephones to the steamships are
under espionage. Wireless plants OF
course had been sealed or dismantled
long before. II was necessary to convey
the order directly and by voice
Secret AGENTS Cnye the Word.
Last Wednesday therefore a German
In street clothes stepped quietly aboard
every Hamburg American and North
German Lloyd liner in the port. chatted
with officers a few minutes quite openly
on deck, went below for a half litre OF
beer, drank to the health OF the Kaiser
and as quietly reappeared on deck and
went ashore.
There was no one TO question the
movements of any one of these incon-
spicuous agents, since any persons. Ger
man or otherwise, who could get by the
pier guards have been at liberty to visit
The Idle ships. In fact. goings and COM
ms had attracted no notice at all up to
the present crisis. The German ships
have been lively social centres. Ban
quets. private dinner parties, dances.
Kane hlatches and amusing entertain
ihenls nave Deen nelu aDOdru many Oh
them Customs guards and police hadn't
The slightest reason to scent the extraor-
dinary developments They don't know
the whole truth as II Is.
These quietly moving visitors that
boarded the ships at Hoboken, the five
SHIPS tied up off 135th street In tbe
North River, the ships at South Brook
'!h, were the messengers Of destruc-
ton, each bearing code word that
meant scrapping s30,000,000 worth of
splendid engines.
Smashing Began mt Once.
They had scarcely left the ships when
VIC smashing commenced. THE Sun has
,H.ormatlon from men OF unquestiona-
o.c verarity and honor as to the extent
Z" the dSmantling and as to the gen.
t'al methods employed.
For months the essential vital oI
Z" lly IcnoVable parts OF the engines
Asd locn chalked with cyyptir signs
nsn' comprehensive nH'y - the Crsi.
nee pei % "f'r W. r'n " ~, ,''p5