New-York tribune., 1918-06-04
Deutschland's Trips Here
ForeshadowedU-B Raid
Famous ouomers'0e Merchantmen Made Two Voyages
to America IN '9'o' Demonstrating Possibility of
Submarines Crossing the Atlantic

The German government tried out
,su possibility Of transatlantic sub
~arine voyages in 1916, when the Ger
-, merchant super boat Deutsch-
80 made two trips between Bremen
and the United States.
The Deutschland arrived in Balti-
.,,e on July 10, 1916, with cargo Of
.,sr;cals and dyes, according to re-
arts. and diplomatic correspondence
i.r Count Won Bernstorf, German AM
,.ssador to the United States. She left
:. the return voyage on August /. She
-..urned 10 this country, arriving at
v.,, London. Conn. November !, 1916,
hon. five months before the United
Gates declared war on Germany re-
..,ninc about month later to Ger
many. She had a crew of about twenty
I've men on both trips.
Relations between the United States
and Germany were approaching break
~hen the Deutschland made the trips
70 this country. While there was no
..,dency TO minimize the enterprise
snS daring displayed by the German
a.;'ors in breaking through the Allied
Act in the North Sea and the Atlantic
~. VOYAGES Of the Deutschland
,.sre construed by naval experts in this
.o,n+rv. England and France as a
t5reat against the United States,
srherebv the German government aimed
"a intinidate this country into remain
,re neutral 1t was, of course. clear
"a all naval authorities that If mer-
sbant submarine could dodge the Allied
feet and make port here naval sub
marine could do the same.
wTheye was merely the question Of
,'n,nnl;es NM nr to be considered, and subma-
-;ns builders declared that a vessel OF
NE size OF the Deutschland could cas-
.ffy act as q supply ship for the fighting
.u-boats.
CAPTAIN Paul Koenig, commander of
tho Deutschland. asserted on his ar
-,iva1 in Baltimore that the feat of his
snndersea craft meant the breaking OF
Inc British naval supremacy. AS if to
nrove that he could repeat his exploit,
'f'aptain koenig, after making the re-
s.iirn trip IN safety, crossed the Atlantc
once more. landing in New London.
While there was no tendency to mini
mize the heroic feat of the Deutscnland
md her crew. some of the marvel was
tinted States submarines had crossed
tbe Pacific between San Francisco and
Hawaii under their own power. The
United States submarines were con-
yoved. however Naval experts SAID
mere was no reason why big subma
rines could not make even longer trips
,hsn the two undertaken by the
Deutschland.
Shortl7 after the Deutschland landed
So, n,
French Minister of Foreign Affairs, de-
elared that dispatching the submarine
10 this country was merely part OF
German diplomacy.
nN. Hanotaux prophesied that the
trip would be followed by reopening
df the question of German resumption
Of the submarine campaign against
merchant ships, a prophecy which was
fulfilled
- ut is but part of German diplomacy
70 intimidate neutral powers and SOW
discord between neutrals and members
Of the Entente" NJ. Hanotaux declared.
at is as if Germany SAID to the
nations beyond the seas, The sea no
longer is an obstacle; here we are, and
beware of our coming again 1t is a
intimidation rather than persuasion
Germany never has been able to abb
stain from a menacing arrogance which
conceals her adroit manoeuvres.
This submarine, slipping quietly
into an American port, says IN effect:
7 am here, and now let us negotiate.
Thus it is with a dagger at the throat
that the neutral government is Obliged
to answer"
While there was much talk from
Germany that regular merchant sub
marine service would be establlshed
between that country and the United
States, such an undertaking was never
seriously considered by naval experts
here and in the countries of the
Allies. The Deutschland, on her two
trips, carried dyestuffs and chemicals,
according to report. 1t was pointed
out that the hazards of the trip and
the smallness of cargo space made such
ventures impractical.
The correctness of this view was
proven when a German submarine at
lacked several Allied craft off the coast
Of the United States early in the fall
Of 1916. The losses thus sustained
have never been accurately reported.
Henry o. Berg, of New York and Paris,
a builder of submarines for several
European governments, declared that
the submarine could not be made
success as cargo carrier.
ION the other hand, the voyage of
the Deutschland is absolute proof of
the feasibility of crossing the ocean
with thousand tons Of supplies.
do not believe that the Deutschland and
other big submarines were built for
commercial purposes, but simply as
supply boats for the attacking sub
marines.
Carrying 1000 tons of fuel. the
Deutschland could convoy five fighting
submarines across the Atlantic at
cruising speed keep them supplied
with fuel for 120 days and return with
them to a German port.
=. do not think it probable that the
German navy has a secret supply sta
'.on on the American coast. 1t needs
10 secret stations. The submarines
can be supplied perfectly by the mother
snip, and there is practically no danger
ot discovery, for. as any naval man
WI tell you, it ls next to impossible
70 discover submarine in the open
sea. At the first sign Of smoke on
,ae horizon, it sinks or goes awash.
me German submarines went out by
ne north of Scotland and after they
nae reached the Atlantic. they were as
safe as if they were at Hamburg.
"A German submarine feet off the
soast OF America is limited only by
,ts supply of fuel and torpedoes and
oy the Kaiser's policy"
AFTER the first trip of the Deutsch-
.Snd IT was announced from Berlin that
ne ne Bremen, another huge merchant