Evening star., 1919-04-02
FRYATT EXECUTION
UNDER HUN INQUIRY
Witnesses at Berlin Give De.
tails of British Ships
U-Boat Encounter.
COURT TO ACT

By the Associated Press.
BERLIN. Tuesday, April 1 ,hy the
Associated Press).--An investiga ton
into the case of Capt. Charles Fryatt
of the British mercantile marine, W no
was executed by the Germans in 1916
after his conviction by a German
nrtmartial of having attempted to
ram the German submarine U-33 with
his vessel, was begun today by a ma
tional court-martial. Representatives
of various governments attended and
a large number of witnesses includ
ing Capt. Dancer of the U-33, appear
ed for examination.
The investigating. commission is
composed of Prof. Schueckins, chair
man: Prince Schocnaich-Ca Carolath.
privy councillor: Herr Eckert of the
foreign Office. Col. Won Franzecky and
Maj. Richter. of the war ministry. and
Capt. VanSelow of the navy. The
foreign governments represented were
Great Britain, France, Norway and Hol-
land. which is represented by Chevalier
Van Rappard, the minister here.
Opening Statement.
At the opening of the invcstiga ton
Attorney Rochal for the commission
gave a description of the Fryatt case.
According to this report, the English
steamer Brussels, under command of
Capt. Fryatt. encountered the subma-
rine U-33. under command of Lieut.
Capt. Gauffer, on March 81, 1915, eight
miles west of the Mas lightship. off the
coast of Holland
1t was alleged that Capt Fryatt at
tempted to ram the submarine. Capt.
F'ryatt and the Brussels were captured
by the Germans in June, 1916. The
captain was first ordered confined at
Ruhleben. Later he was brought before
q cOurt-martial at BI-ugeS, found guilty
and executed.
Statements made by Capt. Fryatt and
several British officers at the court
martial were then read. Fryatt main
tanned that he tried to get away from
the submarine. German officers testi-
fed however. that the log of the Brus-
sells contained this entry: when
saw him, steered directly for him.
- Notes of Protest.
British and American notes of pro-
test against the decision of the court
martial were read. The attorney ex-
planned that Great Britain had COM
DidIneO lndt tne CnlleQ states nd0 not
been permitted legal representation
at the court-martial. although the
United States was then in charge of
British interests in Germany. The
German government, however. would
permit the defendant to have only one
attorney. who was present in the per-
son of Maj. Naumann of Bruges. At.
torney Rochal then read this excerpt
from the testimony at the court-mar-
tial:
Signaled to Stop.
THE first witness. Dancer testified
that the C-33 sighted a steamer while
about to submerge and signaled it to
stop instantly on pain of d shot from
q submarine. The Brussels. however,
he said, evidently had seen the sub
marine first, and made directly for it,
getting up steam as it advanced. Dam
Zer said he tried to get the submarine
out of the way without submerging
again. 1t was impossible to discharge
torpedo, because the steamer was
only $50 yards away. Another officer
gave the order to submerge, and the
C-boat sank thirty-five feet in two
minutes. The crew, it was testified,
saw the shadow Of the British ship
pass overhead"