The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-02-06
German Gunboat Geier, For
Months Interned In Harbor
Fired BY Crew; and Refugee
Ships Made Practically Useless
ARMY AND NAVY CALLED IN
AS REAL CRISIS RISES
Troops Rushed From Forts Near
70 City TO Guard the Water
front, Where International
Tension Brings Conflict Close
From Monday Advertiser)

trTOm MOnuhy AuNertlser) '
VXTAR reached out and laid its
Wv grim. hand on Honolulu
yesterday. Acts resembling those
Of warfare, bloodless but unmis-
takeable, were committed, Every
German vessel in the harbor, in
termed warcraft and refugee mer-
chant ship alike, was seized by
the United States authorities, fol-
lowing the partial burning Of the
cruiser Geier at her moorings by
her crew and the attempt to sink
the German naval collier Locksun
and the preparations to sink the
big refugee steamship Pommern
by opening their seacocks.
After the Geier had been burn
ing for several hours and her
boilers had been ruined and her
engines disabled, she was formal
ly surrendered by her command
er, Captain Grasshof, to Com
rnander Hart Of the submarine
hotilla,
Officers and men of all the
German craft were taken IN
charge BY the federal authorities
and made prisoner. Some were
arrested by the United States
marshal and his men on charges
of violation of neutrality; most
were seized by the soldiers and
sailors of the United States un-
der orders from immigration au-
thorities and marched off to de-
tention in the immigration sheds.
The naval internes were taken
to the army posts.
Following the discovery, about
eight o'clock in the morning, that
the Geier was burning, soldiers
were rushed to the waterfront
and took command from Pier Y
TO the foot of Fort Street. Or
ders were sent to Fort Shafter,
Scho6eld Barracks, Fort Arm
strong, Pearl Harbor and wher-.
ever else soldiers or marines were
stationed, and troops were rushed
TO the city as fast as steam could
bring them. - 2
CENSORSHIP IMPOSED
Whether or not war had actual
ly been declared by the United
States or Germany, or both, Ho-
nolulu was unable all day yester-
day to learn. Soon after the
IRE on the German cruiser was
discovered strict censorship was.
imposed on the wireless and cable
companies by military authori-
tiles. Practically no news Of
great Importance was received.
from the mainland. Advertiser
queries sent to the Associated
Press remained unanswered and
all attempt to send to the Asso-
ciated Press and other news agen-
cies news Of the occurrences here
were futile, the military authori-I
ties refusing to let anything go
0lit. '.1..s, @t
But II was the inference and gen.
eral superstition that the United States
and Germany were actually at war, for
the seizure of the German vessels in
this port and the imprisonment of their
crews savored of war, although local
naval officers explained that what had
happened was merely ga change Of
infernment y ',.t.
That the German officers had for sew
eral days been prepared for any event.
hhlity became evident when navy and
military authorities boarded the in
termed and refugee vessels and diseov-
ered that the machinery Of all of them
had been disabled II was learned he
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