El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-03-12
GERMANY AND ENGLAND HAVE
A BLOODLESS FIGHT ON OUR SOIL


THUS FAR comment has out OF Germany about
the decision of the United States supreme that
the liner Appam, held at Norfolk, Va German
prize should to her British If any comment
Is made will probably be to the effect that American
courts like the government 1t is hard for
the European the American the Asatc TO con-
quite unbiased by politics. local. national OF
International They used to such influence and consider
as matter OF Course Germans are therefore hkely 10
believe that without regard to the merits OF the they
cheated out Of eh prize the raider Moewe
of part of her honor for the capture and Capt Hans
Berg out of the vessel he commanded
How rich prize the Appam is generally known,
very easily imagined by inanders like ourselves who
have less knowledge of ships than should The
Appam appraised at $f25oooO She Is 40 feet long
and of 1900 tons displacement Her cargo from the
coast (she captured off the Madeira islands
while route from Dakar, Africa, to Liverpool England)
estimated he worth between 900 and 100000
II is hard for Germany TO give up such prze,
posing to be true the tale that the raider Moee removed
from the Appam and took back TO Germany gold bullion
worth about 81 100000.
This suit eliminating the supreme courts decision
began the federal district court of Virginia, sitting
of Admiralty, United States Judge Wadd presiding
The British owners sought recovery Of the ship and cargo
The German government, claiming ship and cargo prize
Of the real defendant and the British government
the real plaintiff
The district court awarded ship cargo the British
holding the prize of the APpam violated
traty the Of bringing the Appam into Amer-
port and keeping her there He interpreted existing
German-Amercan treaties allowing only temporary,
not a permanent night to American asylum
The German claimants, represented by Capt Berg and
German vice consul Schng at Norfolk then appealed
through counsel the supreme of the United States
Of the ADpam pending the courts decision
The German government conended that the Appam had
become by capture German varhp entitled to indefinite
asylum American ports by inteTnment that American
courts without jurisdiction determining her status
prize, that function properly lying only with German
courts and that In event the German and Amer
governments admiralty court, determine
the Appam's DISPOSITION
From this view the supreme court dissented holding
its decision that the Appam prize ship and
Of that her of being brought into port
violation of American neutrality inasmuch treaties prO
Vided prize ship must be conveyed by varhp and that
neutrality further violated by claim to permanent
asylum American port Ship and cargo ordered
returned to the British claimants, thus uphodng the
sion Of the lower court.
The striking feature of it all is that here Germany
and Great Britain FIGHTING each other American court
foT that Is what 1t amounted 1t bit of
FOUGHT out without bIoodshed little of the
bitterness which pervades al other battleelds It was N
of two nations for possession of
truly thoueh rvsl battehips hurting broaddes
into each other in the cause.
In TeDors of the proceedings catch this little sentence
The American government nterverAd Is friend
Of the court In other words the United States owned the
battlefield and watched proceedings TO there were
no irregularities
is not often that witnesses of these little side
fShfs OF the war From the fact that il wa0ed on
American soil there Is nothing comDsrabe TO It save that
dark enoaQemert which agents the belioe-sns are
a01"g IN land: side munition Shipments
BY fvDsmite strike bv dsabns ships and the other
to eh~ckn1sfe the efforts Of the former
And IN this secret warfare n the STRUGGLE for the
ApPan the United States remains SHE friend of the court