Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-07-08
BODY Of CAT TAIN
FRYATT CARRIED
HOME IN STATE
Was Executed By Germans
Because He Tried to Defend
Himself Against German
Submarine Raider.
tsr nosmsa JOURNAL SPECIAL LrAsED WAN


London, July (By the Associated
Press. 1.-The body of Captain Charles
Fryatt, executed in 1916 by the Ger
mans for attempting to ram sub
marine, was brought to Dover today
aboard a British destroyer escorted
by vessels of the Dover patrol.
The casket on gun carriage, was
drawn solemnly from the destroyer
to the railway station accompanied by
a naval escort and civil authorities 1t
will be taken by train tomorrow 10
London where national memorial
services will be held at st. Paurs
cathedral.
The case Of Captain Charles Fryatt
has been classed with that of Edith
Cavell, the BIRTHS nurse who was exc
cuted by the Germans. Captain Fryatt
was commander of the British steam
er Wrexham on March %, 1915, when
the German submarine U-33 ordered
the Wrexham to stop near the Mas
lightship. Captain Fryatt, acting as
he afterward said under orders of the
British admiralty, attempted to ram
the submarine. The German U-b.at
narrowly escaped by diving. His eX-
plot was hailed in England as Erii-
liant one and M attempt was made 10
keep his identity q secret. Instead
the British Admiralty gave him a gold
watch for his brave conduct ana he
was mentioned in the house of COM
mons. Thus the Germans learned the
identity of the mariner who had at
tempted to sink their submarine.
More than a year afterward, on
June "a, 1916, Captain Fryatt was
captured by the Germans, together
with the steamer Brussels which he
was plotting from Rotterdam 10 I'll
bury. German warships took the
Brussels into Zeebrugge. About
month later, July %. the announce
nent came from Berlin that Captain
Fryatt had been executed by shooting
after a trial before a German court
martial. The German official state
ment declared that the captain was
executed for "franc-tireur crime
against armed German sea forces. The
trial was held at Bruges on July ~.
The British foreign office had learned
about ten days previously that Cap
tain F'ryatt was to be tried ana
through the AmticLn ambassador in
Berlin, James w. Gerard, had en-
deavored to provide for his defense
before the German court. The British
government asserted that Cap
tain Fryast's action in steer
ing his vessel toward the submarine
was essentially defensive and that ne
had an undonbted right to GO 1t. II
was pointed out that the German
prize regulation provided that in case
a merchant vessel offered armed re-
sistance the members of her crew,
when captured, should be treated as
prisoners of war.
The killing of Captain Fryatt arous-
ed intense indignation throughout
England and the sympathy of all
allied governments and people. Brit
ish naval officers declared there was
no such thing as 'franc-tireur al
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
uuith 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 muir
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 armistice
and the overthrow of the German en-
peror and his government, the new
government in Germany undertook an
Investigation of the trial and a Ger
man commission decided that the
shooting of the British captain did not
violate international law. 1t express
ed regret at tho rapidity with which
the sentence was executed. A marble
memorial to Captain Fryatt has been
erected in London.
Captain Fryatt's home was in Har-
wich where he was known as the PR
at 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
z.ridnrr nnd sauaral childran