New-York tribune., 1919-05-23
Former German Steam
ship, With German Who
Once Commanded Her.
Brings Troops of 89th
E,3lO Fighters
Are Landed in Day
Leviathan Docks Ahead
Of Sister Ship With
1888 Men on Board

The former Hamburg gAmercan liner
Imperatcr, which was in the mud off
Hamburg for nearly FIVE years, was one
Of eight transports that brought home
yesterday from the battlehelds of
Europe 27.3O9 American officers and
men. It was the biggest assemblage
Of fighters that landed on home shoes
since the signing of the armistice.
The second biggest steamship in the
world, apart from dead black tunnels
and rust on her bridge and super
structure, she looked about the same
ss when she left New York in the sum-
mer OF 1914.
Few who saw her pass knew that on
her bridge was Captain Thomas Kier,
her former commander, a navigator
known to thousands OF wealthy Ameri-
can travellers, the one-time popular
German master who took the Cleveland
on her famous cruise around the world.
taptain kler's war service was con
taed 10 German transport along the
Danuoe, but in all his service to Ger
rary he had never taken the life of
sns American, he said
Aid to American Officers
DE had little to say as the big mer-
ehantman came up the familiar fair
way OF the harbor, except that Gov
enor's Island looked little bigger
and trihe more warlke than when
ie oade It farewell five years ago. He
snew the lmperator from stem to stern.
.ho ne had come over to unfold all he
sasw TO the American naval officers
VINO had taken hold of this stranger
oniy ten days before. When the vessel
vas made fast in Hoboken he sought
'ne seeluson OF his room.
Vaptaln Fritz Kruse, second in com
uahd OF the German force on the I'm
ps'alor' SAID he thought the Imperator
vas better ship to-day than the
leFlathan that came over with her.and
laughed heartily when it was suggested
sSa' ner Dig sister ship had beaten her
- race to port. "She can do % 90
.n0's easily without forced draught,"
ae sald, and keep that speed up with
vu' pushing. | don't thing the Levia-
nan can beat her"
NO Race Across Ocean
!. was said by navigating officers on
'0'n vessels that there was no race
- s's0ss the Atlantic, each vessel max
"g regulation speed.
me imperator left Brest on Thurs
q, al 1870 a. m. and the Lev;athan
o''V p. m. the same day.
w. VI tuesday, at 1880 a. m.. the
-, r..s'nan oyerhauled her sister ship
- -. men neld the lead until she reached
H.. IN the fog yesterday morning.
.sAs three hours later the 1mperator
ls 70 anchor off the Ambrose Chan
-. .as Leviathan carried 1883 Off
sai.x ana men, and thousands OF
b. s exchanged hands in bets on
a., approximate hour she would over
80. .ne imperator. 1t was definitely
Ls.'''oa L,.s. that she would beat the
s. vessel to port, an the Leviathan
,,,.s+ a hear Admiral Gleaves as
s.,s.s ssssaser and few his flag. AS a
eaaS s' VI naval courtesy it was under
ah to port. 00D 's@a III 'he
~ the way from Brest, where the
r1ssstor had been delivered bv b.r
,s,,.. ,..ah crew, Captain Kier spoke his
es,,. es mat A revival Of the DAYS Of
ass~ :, former, prestige was far
s.sss. ns knew Colonel House and had
s,;s he iate Colonel Roosevelt, he
sasr Ae admitted fesigncdly that Ger
vas beaten beaten hard. and
,ssr. "elpfo'nx N the naval officer with
MA VA ne talked, suggested that Il
;;s,s nave been a mistake il "gnperial
ay rad been yictoious."
'siis Treaty Impossible,
M, feared that Cermany's only
sfsrr..p nope of the future iay In a
~ ys''h of commercial relations
tssx .s United States. The treaty
ii. " me Germans by the@Aliies,
lsxn, 'plnien, was Impossible Of full
ssere.s1 1ha II signed hardly could be
N3y a man VINO had sailed with
N S4 sns Ifnperator and the Cleve-
y b.a 80 want 10 talk about the var.
M e 0o many American friends 10
III g.. Svmmsnt on the eyents Of the
~ - 49,, years, ne said, but he brought
II 1s ~ secrcts Of thc submarines.
80 oesn in command Of several