The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-06-06
CAPTAIN FRYATT
AND EDITH CAVELL
ASK FOR JUSTICE
German Frightfulness Must
Be Sharply Called for
Reckoning
YES, LEST WE FORGET
England Has Declared that Repara-
ton Should be Demanded in the
Peace Terms
YES, LEST WE FORGET

The case of Captain Charles Fryatt
has been classed with that of Edith
Cavell, the British nurse who was
executed by the Germans. Captain
Fryatt was commander of the British
steamer Wrexham on March %, 1915,
when the German submarine U-33 or
dered the Wrexham to stop near the
Mas light ship. Captain Fryatt, act
ing as he afterward said under orders
of the British Admiralty, attempted
to ram the submarine. The German
U-boat narrowly escaped by diving.
His exploit was hailed in England as
a brilliant one and no attempt was
made to keep his identity a secret.
Instead the British Admiralty gave
him a gold watch for his "brave con-
duct" and he was mentioned in the
House of Commons. Thus the Ger
mans learned the identity of the mar
iner who had attempted to sink their
submarine.
More than a year afterwards, on
June "a, 1916, Capt. Fryatt was cap
tured by the Germans, together with
the steamer Brussels which he was
plotting from Rotterdam to Tilbury..
German warships took the Brussels
into Zeeburge. About month later,
July %, the announcement came from
Berlin that Captain Fryatt had been
executed by shooting after trial be-
fore a German court martial. The
German official statement declared
that the Captain was executed for
"franc-tireur crime" against armed
German sea forces. The trial was
held at Bruges on July 27 The Brit
ish Foreign Office had learned about
ten days previously that Captain Fry
att was to be tried and through the
American ambassador in Berlin,
James w. Garard, had endeavored to
provide for his defense before the
German court. The British govern
ment asserted that Captain Fryatt's
action in steering his vessel toward
the submarine was essentially defen-
sive and that he had an undoubted
right to do it. 1t was pointed out
that the German prize regulation
provided that in case merchant yes
sci offered armed resistance the mem
bers Of her crew, when captured,
should be treated as prisoners of war.
The killing of Captain Fryatc
aroused intense Indignation through
out England and the sympathy of all
Allied governments and people. Brit
ish naval officers declared there was
no such thing as a "franc-tireur' at
sea and pointed out that where Brit
ish captains resisted capture by use
of guns mounted on merchant ships,
Germany had not court-martialed or
executed them. British newspapers
denounced the execution as "foul and
abominable murder" Premier As
quith declared in the House of Com
mons that England would not tolerate
a resumption of diplomatic relations
with Germany after the war until re-
paration had been made for the "mur-
der of Captain Fryatt.' He said that
the Allies were considering what re-
paration for it should be demanded
in the peace terms. After the armis-
tice and the overthrow of the German
Emperor and his government, the new
government of Germany undertook an
of the trial and Ger
man commission decided that the
shooting of the British captain did not
violate international law. 1t express
sed regret at the rapidity with which
sentence was executed. A marble
to Captain Fryatt has been
erected in London.
Captain Fryatt's home was in Har-
wich where he was known as the "pi-
rate dodger" because of his success
in evading German submarines. He
was regarded as a daring commander
and described as man of high honor
and as a fearless navigator. He left
a widow and several children.