The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-07

Washington. April attorney
General Gregory today ordered the
arrest of sixty-flve German
subjects as a war measure to pro-
tect the United States from injury at
the hands OF these enemy aliens
These men. according TO the intel
ligence bureaus CT the government.
have been prepared to strike this
country in the back in case of war
and do as much damage in the in
terests of the Germans as possible.
Many more arrests are to follow.
With an Intricate network Of in
telligence officers covering the whole
cut short every effort on the part
of an enemy alien or sympathizer
with the nations enemies to work
harm In America. Important per-
sonages, nationally known, are being
watched closely by operatives of the
government and sensational arrests
are expected.
The making Of arrests began today
and before the night was over the
department Of justice planned to have
every man on the list of those want
ed in custody.
German Ships Seized.
The order for the arrest of these
enemies so close at home followed
adIo Otf Tic tiutE iti ttaf taNiAN ptc~
session of the scores of German mer-
chant ships in American ports. AS
the first day of what many military
experts predict will be Americas
greatest war dawned word flashed
forth from Washington ordering the
placing of customs guards on all the
German ships. Previous secret or
ders had been sent to government
agents to be in readiness to take Gus
- - al a t,x,s fayx
upon passage of the war resolution.
one code word. it meaning pre-ar-
ranged, was flashed to the port OFF,
GERS and by noon every German ship
was in American possession with the
officers and crews in the hands of
the department. of labor, That
branch OF the government will de-
termine their status.
Ships Badly Damaged.
Extensive damage was discovered
to have been done TO the Germa I
ships. Two or three months will be
required to put them in seaworthy
shape. Secretary OF the Treasury
McAdoo said today that German pri-
waite property rights in these ships
will be observed TO the extent that
they are protected by treaties. How
ever. during the war, the vessels will
be used probably as army transports.
The steam boat inspection service to-
day reported that the vessels were
designed and are built SO as to be
readily susceptible to conversion into
auxiliary cruisers. Their decks are
braced to carry heavy guns and they
have auxiliary steering gear beneath
the water line. But the plans of the
vessels have been purpos>ly destroyed
BY the Germans so as to prevent
speedy rehabilitation of the vessels by
American naval architects,
Whether or not the shippinf board.
the army or the navy will assume
final jurisdiction over the vessels has
not been determined. Fourteen of
the vessels are capable of transport
per hour, the department of COM
merce announced. This figure is ex-
elusive of the leviathan vateriand.
How many Germans, having at
least a semi-official connection with
the German government and under
Gel man orders. are in this country Is
not precisely known.
List OF Ships Seized.
German-owned merchant vessels
which were taken in charge today by
American authorities are:
At New Northumberland, 54.2sa
tons gross: George Washington. 25,-
57o; Kaiser Wilhelm H., 1851;
President Lincoln. 1S.161: President
Grant, ls.072: Pennsylvania. 10,33s;
Grosser Kurfurst, l3.102; Barbarossa,
1884: Princess Irene. 1888; Fried
rich der Crosse. l0,771: Hamburg.
1881: Koenig Wilhelm H., $50:
Bohemia, S.414: Armenia, 5.46i:
Adamstrum. 5.809; Pisa. 4.9S7: prinz
Joachim. 4.760: Prinz Eitel Friedrich.
1850 tnot auxiliary OF the same name
now at Philadelphia): Ailemania. A.
20 30;. MAdgehnrxs 4.As7; Harburg. A.
472 Nassovia. 3.S02: Portonia, 22,-
IT'S: Maia. z,bsS: Clara Mennig. L.
6s5; Indra, t.74s; Matador. 1.46s.
At oeton---ATnmerika. 22,622:
Kron- PrinSesein C$cile. 1s.5o3: Gin
cinnati. 1850; Kiln. 7.4os: witte-
kind. s.64Oj Oulzenfels, 5.s3l.
At New LOAdOi wlllehad, 4.7s1.
At Baittnfer 19ialearia, 11.440:
Rheiu. Ios0e1 gSc1Ae. e.e3s.