Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-04-26
Deutschland Sent to America
To. Obtain Military Facts and.
Nickel for krupp Gun Plants

desperately, then the Krupp interests
I did the allies did-they sent ships
over to America to get supplies.
German People Were Never Told.
But the German people were never
old that these supplies were war sup
plies. The German people were nevc
informed that the Deutschland was
owned and controlled by Krupp. Al
fred Lohmann, who was president OF
the German Ocean Navigation COM
pany, the Krupp dummy, posed as the
originator Of the submarine idea. AS
a ..latter of fact, he had nothing to
do with. the designing or building of
the Deutschland. The North German
Lloyd company, which is owned almost
entirely by krupp. was used as an
appointed as much for the German
public as to deceive the American
people.
After the Deutschland made it's first
trip and returned l went to see it sail
UP the mouth of the Weser to Bremen.
That night l saw members of the crew
coming from a dinner at the Rathaus
cafe. The e day several Of them
reported personally to the naval INTEL
ligence department of the admiralty in
Berlin. They had made soundings and
reports on American waters outside
Baltimore for the use of other subma-
rlnes, including h sea murderers, In
case war came, and 1t would be pos
sible for Germany to e submarines
to the United States for offensive pur-
poses. Captain koenig, in his book,
tells about some OF the information he
and his crew collected regarding the
waters in the Chesapeake bay and the
Atlantic.
If Germany was not using the
Deutschland as a submarine investi-
gator, why did the Deutschland not re-
turn to Baltimore on the second trip?
Why was it planned to SEND zach new
submarine into a different American
harbor? Why were New London, Conn,
New York and Boston selected?
Looking Forward.
Is it possible that the German navy
was looking forward to the time when
America would be at war with Ger
many-to the time when it would be
advisable to send destructive subma-
rines into American waters? Ii the
Deutschland crew had no connection
with the navy department If Zach man
had his discharge papers, why were
they selected from the naval intelli-
gcnce bureau?
AS I wrote in an earlier article, Ger
many expects to fight America over
here, unless something happens that
she can't get her submarines out of the
North sea. If a German submarine an
peared suddenly off Baltimore, New
York, New London. Norfolk or Boston.
armed with 6-inch cannon and several
torpedoes it might make it very UNI
comfortable for a time as far as United
: States shipping is concerned.
The Bremen is lost. Director General
: Heinicken, of the North German Lloyd,
declared in Berlin to those who asked
him that he believed the Bremen was
> lost in a storm off the coast of England
y I'lne I)p1JfGrhlln nd E and pYar,a~ ,.-
= both escorted in the North sea by naval
s submarines. Heinicken said the Bremen
, encountered a severe storm and. ac.
cording to all indications, was lost
!. !. What has happened to the Deutschland
! no one seems to know. Earlysin January
? the Berlin papers announced that the
> merchant submarine would carry mai
to the United States, but that mail for
the next ship, presumably the Deutsch.
= land, had to be in Bremen before Jan.
{ uary 20. Whe l was in Paris / was
. asked where tile Deutschland was
e did not know. The official who asked
. me said: Don't be surprised ii the
e English navy captured it."
n krupp Has Four Others.
English friends later confirmed
this, but I doubh, whether accurate
G reports will be received until the
English government Is ready tc
make the announcement. IL thu
English nave captured the Deutsch
land, Krupp still has four others. Blu
now that the United States is at wa,
with Germany these submarines will
not be sent here as merchant ships
krupp, however, can easily loan or sci
O them to the German navy for supply
+ ships for submarines operating in thu
Atlantic or off the American or African
coasts They can be made, to hold ton.
Of supplies. BY use Of such ships biz
ocean cruising submarines could staS
h in the Atlantic for months without re
+ turning to their base at Heligoland OF
4 Wilhelmshaven.
4 Merchant submarines were loaded
with dyestuffs n knitting needles fol
4 the United States because large sum,
OF money could be collected here TO,
these materials. The first voyage OF tn.
Deutschland, SO 1t was said in Berlin
Detted Lohmann about half a million
dollars. But the risk was so great thar
!. unless the Deutschland was brinein,
Il military cargoes for the government. tn,
government could not permit the manu-
z facture and construction. General Dircc
o tor Balm. of the Hamburg-Americar
a line. proposed two years ago at a boare
Il meeting that merchant submarines b,
built. but the proposal was not carrie,
n because the directors expected peace
n and also the government would not en-
courage the construction Of any ship,
which were not needed for military pur
n poses.
Those Foolish Questions.
From Puck