THE MORNING OREGONIAN. FRIDAY. MARCH 1 2. 1915.
WHEAT SHIPS BOUND FROM PACIFIC COAST FOR ENGLAND SENT TO BOTTOM BY CREW OF GER
MAN AUXILIARY CRUISER PRINZ EITEL FRIEDRICH.
OFFICIALS THINK
SUNKEN SHIP FRYE
OWNED BY FAMILY
To Our Patrons We Are Plaj injr the Famous Tolstoi Mas
terpiece, "Kreutzer Sonata," All This Week
Diplomats Share Opinion of
Washington That Sinking of
Frye Was Unlawful.
Shares Are Distributed Among
Famous Sailing Vessel
Building Sewalls.
Wl THEATRE w
TODAY TOMORROW
LAST CHANCE TO SEE
Theda Bara William Shay Nance (VNeil
REPARATION TO BE ASKED
ONLY ONE OTHER IS BIGGER
GERMANY WILL PAY
rSWOtl
r ; - 1 ..JU, ...- - - -
: ;. h :sSs : :
flipicr .Named After United Stales
Senator from Maine, Who Until
Ills Death Felt Great Pride
Jn Honor Shown Him.
WASHINGTON. March 11. Destruc
tion of the ship William P. Frye by the
tWinan commerce destroyer Prinz Kitel
Friedrich struck from marine lists
next to the largest vessel of the Amer
ican sailing fleet and one of the largest
muare-risged craft in the world. Her
loss falls not on a corporation, but
upon individual members or connec
tions of the Sewall family, famous
anion? New Ensiand shipbuilders and
oiirr.i since the days when American
clippers hae carried the flap in all the
even seas and fought the losing bat
tle against steam craft that ended
.American maritime prestisre.
The Frye was built in Bath, 3ie.. ana
reamtry was granted her in 1901. wl.j
CS individuals, six of whom are women,
annearinz as Joint owners. That own-
ernhip has never changed and those
who hold allotments of the 12 shares
Into which the venture was divided are
aeattere.1 from the Atlantic to the Pa
tific Coast.
The ship as named after the late
Senator Frye. of Maine, and to the dHy
of his death was a source of pride to
the Senator. It is recorded that he de
clared himself more honored in havins
his name upon the stern of an American-built,
owned and operated sailing
vessel than if the fleetest of Atlantic
liners had borne it.
T'.ie Frye was a sister ship to the
f-tar of Lapland, also built at Bath, and
because of a minor difference in the
ize of a deckhouse of the latter was
even tons smaller in measurement, the
lpland leading American sailing ships
with 331 gross tons against 3374 re
corded for the Frye. Of the 128 owner
ship shares in the Frye, only half a
dozen persons hoid more than one or
two shares apiece.
THItEJ-J BIG CARGOES GO SOON
Iarinr at Seattle Are Ketlcent
Regarding Route to Britain.
SEATTLE, Wash.. March 11. Within
the next 10 days three big sailing ves
sels the full-rigged French ship Laen
nec. the Swedish bark Svithiod and the
British bark Alice A. Leigh will leave
Seattle with cargoes of wheat for the
United Kingdom. All are under char-
' ter to M. H. Houser, the grain exporter
who loaded the American bark William
1. Frye which was destroyed by the
litrman auxiliary cruiser Prinz Kitel
Fricdrich. and all will proceed to Eng
lish ports "for orders." The Lacnnec,
Captain Achille Guriec. will sail Friday
or Saturday with 3000 tons of wheat
and will be followed in a few days by
" the Svithiod. Captain O. Lodtn. and the
Alice A. Leisrh, Captain Allan David
on. with SOOO tons and 4600 tons of
(Train respectively. Officers of all
three vessels were unwilling to discuss
the route they would follow.
"This information is not for the Ger
mn.T' asked the mate of the Alice A.
Leigh, the largest sailing vessel under
the British flag. "You know you can't
be too careful about giving out infor
mation concerning a British ship in
ir time."
The mate of the French ship Lacnnec
n ji less reticent. He said the Lacnnec
' would proceed to Falmouth for orders,
and expressed the hope she would
' make as fast a passage as the Ameri
can bark Edward Sewall, which ar
i ived at Dublin Sunday, 135 days from
8-cattle.
.TREATMENT AS PIRATES URGED
One or On net s of Ship Frye Sends
Rcquot to Washington.
LONG BEACH. Cal.. March 11.
Fainuel S. W. Sewall. of Bath. Me., one
.f the owners of the William P. Frye,
t:ie American vessel sunk by the Ger
man auxiliary cruiser Prints Eitel
Frledrich. said today that he had
asked the I'nited States Government
to proceed against the German warship
as a sea rover and her crew as pirates.
HI.-. Sewall wants the most vigorous
I f presentations made to Germany.
The Frye." he said, "carried a cargo
that was marked "non-contraband" by
the (Tniied States Government Marine
Insuram-e Bureau. There was nothing
but wheat aboard the ship."
Mr. Sewall said the vessel was worth
Ji; j.n'io and the rsrro of wheat shipped
at Seattle last November was valued
at JJ0O.000.
STRIKE DELAYS BIG GUNS
American Cannon for Cxar Are Tied
Up at Vancouver, B. C.
VANCOUVER. B. C. March 11. The
aailing. of the Russian volunteer fleet
rteamer Varoslav for Vladivostok
with Amertcan-made cannon and am
munition for the Russian army has
ben delayed by the strike of long
shoremen here. The shir will not get
an ay until Saturday or Sunday.
No more Russian steamers are on
t!i way from Siberia, and the vol
unteer fleet service, which is said to
iave been of great Importance to the
Russians in supplying the army with
havy guns, will be discontinued tem
porarily. One of the volunteer Ft earn
ers, the Kiev, is on the way to New
York, presumably to take a cargo from
that port to Archangel.
With the approach of Spring this
.Ar'-lic port of Russia will be opened
1-r the transportation of artillery.
NEW FOUNDJLANDERS LAND
Contingent of 1000 Naval Reservists
for Britain Completed.
ST. JOHNS. N. F March 11. With
the arrival in England yesterday of
ISO naval reservists from this colony,
. Hie full strength of 1000 men. which
the New Foundland government un
dertook to raise has now been reached.
Thus far -IS New Foundlanderi are
reported to have lost their lives in
' naval disasters. 25 going down with
the auxiliary cruiser Viknor I January
and 13 with the auxiliary cruiser
Clan McNaughton February 5.
Ihj"s Exports Make New Record.
NEW TORK. March 11. Exports Trom
-this port yesterday exceeded in value
JI9.000.non, the largest amount ever
recorded In a single dry In the history
of the customs-house. The best pre
vious record of 19,000,000 was made one
day last week.
Jii f Jrr,
aw . - -:.k-jjst.-Tr :. z y rrre?m)2rjM- - T ,r r ' v imuT in mi limr aiir
;:-.L.Cy.:'.'lj " ' - '2IZ H-Z- i
GERMAN TELLS WHY fRYE'S CARGO PAID
Statement Regarding Sinking
of American Is Given.
VOYAGE FULL OF THRILLS
.Many Other Neulruls Sighted, but
Ignored by Kaiser's Auxiliary in
South Seas All Warship Voy
age Records Are Broken.
Continued Krom First Page.
eligibility for service in the German
army.
These men made no request to come
to American soil, willingly remaining
on board the Prinz " Eitel, and were
pressed into service.
Attempt to Ram Eitel Falls.
Members of the crew of the Frye
and officers of other sunken ships to
night revealed more thrilling stories
of the Prinz Eitel's marine wrecking
career. Captain J. Wedgewood, of the
British steamship Willerby. sunk Feb
ruary 20, described how he narrowly
missed sinking the Eitel Friedrich with
her crew and scores of his own coun
trymen who had been captured before.
"The German ship was almost on us
before we discovered hor," said Captain
Wedgewood. "We were going full
speed ahead and the Friedrich was
coming full speed, about to ram us
broadside. She hoisted a signal for
ua to stop. 1 kept right on but swerved
and tried to claw around her to get by.
I soon saw there was no chance, for tlie
Friedrich al.o swerved toward our
stern. Instantly 1 saw a chance to
ram her and gave the order 'Reverse
the engines and give 'em hell for all
you're worth.'
(rasa Barely Misaed.
"I thought I had her. We were soon
goiner fall speed astern and it seemed
we would not fail to strike. We saw
men and women wiiaiy umuwniug.
They seemed hysterical. Little did i
know that there were British. French
and Russian prisoners on Doara. c
only thought of the chance to ram ana
sink the enemy and to take to sea in
our own DOats rainrr nipu i" .
chance at rescue after the collision.
But the Eitel Friedrich missed tne
crash by. only a few yards."
-Yes," spoke up A. E. Dobblng. mas
ter of the British ship Mary Ada
Short, which had been sunk two days
before, "and while you were doing that
I was looking .through one of the
Friedrich's portholes, sure you were
going to hit us. 1 measured the port
and said to myself. 'Oh, when she hits
I can Jump through this; he's going to
sink us sure as death. "
Jack Macey, of the crew of the Frye,
told of the sinking - of the French
steamer Floride.
"She was full of champagne and
other wines, and you should have seen
her burn," he said. "The Friedrich
steamed away and came oacn two
hours later, when she broke out bright
again. Then we scooted, for the Fried
rich was afraid of the glare and had
heard the wireless of a British war
ship not far away.
Other officers ana men toia now
they had signed papers not to par
ticipate further in. the war against
Germany on the understanding that
they were to be placed aboard neutral
ships.
Many Kent rata Not Spoke.
"We sighted 3S neutral ships, but
not one was spoken by the Eitel Fried
rich." said Captain King, of tha British
sunken sailing ship Invercoe.
"Every time a neutral ship appeared
we -were all put below hatches. When
we were -approaching tha Virginia
Capes we were below the hatches and
German officers said to us: 'Don't be
frightened. If a British cruiser sights
us, stay down below. "We'll return her
fire till our masthead sinks.' "
When Collector Uamiltou boardud,
tha Eitel Friedrich today, officers
came on deck, flushed from the ban
quet table of the captain, who wus
celebrating his birthday. Behind the
dirty black shields that protect the
cruiser's auxiliary guns the crew was
at work polishing shining breeches.
The deck officer in his worn, but
neat, uniform swung back and forth
methodically and everything bore out
the captain's curt reminder to certain
strangers who wished to board, "This
is a warship; we cannot permit vis
itors."
"For my part," said pne of the ship's
aociors, i wien we were out a&aui.
We could send a few more of them
to the .bottom at least.
Fate of Family t aknorra.
"Seven and a half months at sea,"
he added, "and I don't even know
whether my wife and little girl in
Munich are alive. And my two
brothers, officers." Then ho added:
"War time is not pretty."
In the afternoon the crew of the
Frye left the ship for American soil
again and the men cheered. They had
already been preceded by the wife of
Captain Klehne, her two boys and a
German canary, gift of the Friedrich's
commander.
The silent path of the Eitel, which
one officer today said was longer than
any ever traced by a ship of war, was
crossed by a web of varying wireless
messages which went unanswered, ac
cording to tno description of one of
the men.
"The one message that made ns laugh
was to hear we were sunk again," said
the officer. "When we were in the
Pacific we heard we were sunk off
Patagonia. When we rourded the Horn
we heard that we had been lost in the
South China Sea."
Karlsruhe "Geta" Brltoa.
Other periods of "listening in" gave
life-saving tips to the fugitive ship, it
was explained. "We were after a big
British sailing vessel," the officer con
tinued, "and were in a fair way to get
hen when we heard tho Karlsruhe
talking to us.
" 'Keep off." she said. "Enemy war-
.ships. I'll get the Englishman."
"So we went away and the .Karls
ruhe got her," ho added
After his interview today with Com
mander Thlerlchens and submission of
the American requests Collector Ham
ilton said:
- "The German commander told me
that he had the Eitel examined by ex
perts of the Newport News shipyard
and after docking and examination
would submit to me an estimate of the
time that would be required to repair
her. He said it was his intention to
repair and proceed; that it was not his
intention to interne. He said further
that he would submit reasons and cir
cumstances for sinking the Frye. I
shall wait here until I get hU reply."
Captain H. H. Kiehne, of the Frye,
will go to Baltimore tomorrow with
his wife and children and appear be
fore customs officials in Washington
Saturday.
Tonight crews of the sunken British,
French and Russian ships were re
leased. Arrangements are being made
to send the French crews to New York.
Most of the British and Russians will
man ships loaded here with horses for
England. Two steamers, the Pomeny
and Raeburn, now are loading here,
preparing to sail wlthir a few days.
r
Portland Wheat Settled For
Before Ship Is Sunk.
SKIPPER'S ACT CRITICISED
M. H. Houser Gets Money I'roni Lon
don Buyers WTiile Vessel ' Is on
Way Invercoe, Also Prey of
Cruiser, Was Visitor Here.
S. & T. Trounson, of Redruth, Eng
land, who bought the wheat cargo
aboard the American ship William F.
Frye when she sailed from Puget
Sound November 6, and Arthur Sewall
& Co., of Bath, Me., her owners, are
supposedly worrying the most about
her sinking by the German auxiliary
cruiser Prinx Eitel Friedrich, now at
Newport News. M. H. Houser, of Port
land, who exported the cereal, ar
ranged for its sale soon after the ship
got under way, the deal being carried
out on a bank guarantee and 60 days'
sight draft. About February 1 a set
tlement was made.
Mr. Houser said yesterday that he
was yet without official advices of any
sort. He assumed that Lloyd's agen
cies on the Atlantic Coast would im
mediately cable news of the loss of the
ship and cargo to England, and that
there was nothing further, to be done
regarding the case here. Much de
pends on what action the owners would
take independently or through the
American Government to obtain a set
tlement with the German government
for the ship. Whether any attempt
would be made to obtain pay for the
cargo is an open question herr
Because both were covered by Amer
ican war risks, issued by the United
States Government, is taken by some
to place the matter In a different light
than the cargoes of foreign ships
bound to England. At the same time
opinions among shipping men are that
had the master of the cruiser proceed
ed with jettisoning the wheat cargo
or had he rendered useless what was
left by pumping salt water into the
hold, leaving the ship free to make
some nearby port in safety, no blame
could have attach. But. it is argued,
he overstepped the bounds when he
deliberately sent the American square
rigger to the bottom.
Another ship that fell prey to the
Prinx Eitel Friedrich was the British
bark Invercoe, Captain King, which
was cleared from Portland November 5
with a.cargo of 87,217 bushels of wheat
valued at $95,940 that was dispatched
by Hind, Rolph & Co. The bark
reached Astoria November 9 and No
vember 15 put to sea. The Invercoe
had made several voyages to the Coast,
and her master was well known among
...-;T,r He was formerly in the
Glenalvon and was master of that ship
when she was lost abroad, later latins
command of the Invercoe.
The French bark Pierre Lotl, which
the German cruiser also sank, was here
last in April, 1912, when she was dis
patched by Kerr, Gifford & Co. with
wheat. Another of her victims, the
French ship Jacobsen, was here in
1909 and sailed June 3 of that year for
Hull with a lumber cago. and last the
Russian ship Isabel Browne was sent
away from Portland with wheat Octo
ber 12. 1911. tJ , ,
In many cases wheat is sold to in
terests abroad before it is loaded here,
or, in fact, before the ship declared for
the vovage has arrived, while at other
times "cargoes are disposed of as soon
as loaded and more when on the way.
some cargoes changing hands several
times en route. There are cases as
well in which exporters hold cargoes
from the market until the ships arrive
out or are thought to be nearing the
I'nited Kingdom, the action depending
on the market.
.This season sales have been rapid.
and because of the dangers ai sea ex
porters have not laneu cnancco.
Courtinartial for Captain of Prinz
Kitel, In Addition to Money Dam
ages, Regarded as Suffi
. . cicnt Amends.
WASHINGTON, March 11. Unless the
German government voluntarily offers
to make restitution for the destruction
of the American ship William P. Frye,
sunk by the converted cruiser Prinz
Eitel Friedrich in the South Atlantic,
and expresses regret for the occur
rence, strong protest will be made by
the United States with a request for
reparation.
Probably no announcements concern
ing the case will be made, it was said
by high officials, until an investigation
of all the facts has been completed.
President Wilson said today that a
searching inquiry would be conducted.
Germany Expected to Admit Error.
Officials were unanimous in their
opinion and it was shared largely by
diplomats that the commander of the
Prinz Eitel had no right to send the
Frye to the bottom. It was considered
probable by officials that the German
government would admit the error of
the , naval commander and agree
to make the usual reparation. Some
officials thought sufficient amends,
after the payment of damages,
would be the court-martialing of the
German officer.
It was made clear at the State De
partment that whatever action would
K. tolrn as. a result Of the SinKing Ol
the Frye would be entirely disasso
oufaj mm nneKfions arising out of th
entry into an American port of the
Prinz fc-itel, desiring time lor icp.no
The vessel coHld, therefore, depart
iMiHn. tViA miARtinn raised bv the d e-
struction of the American ship to be
settled through diplomatic cnanneis.
Crew to Be Kept Together.
r,ntatn Rov-ed. naval attache of th
German Embassy, it was understood
here, has gone to Newport News from
New York to corner wnn me luiii""
of the Prinz Eitel and obtain a sworn
statement of the facta for tne uermi
Captain Kiehne, of the Frye. has been
asked to keep the members of his crew
together, so that all the testimony nec
essary for diplomatic correspondence
may be gathered. The captain probably
will come to Washington Saturday to
confer with Treasury and . State De
partment orttciais ana give a persuimi
statement or tne circumicnii;oa oui
rounding the sinking of his ship.
Examination of precedents in inter
national law showed to State Depart
ment officials that, irrespective of th
provisions of the declaration of London
th. ntntua nr which is uncertain, be
cause it was not geoerally ratified, the
general rules ot maritime practice -nave
prohibited the destruction of a neutral
vessel under the circumstances in
which the Frye was found in the South
Atlantic by the Prinz Eitel.
Americana Subjected -to Ranks.
Many arguments have been urged
from time to time against the destruc
tion of neutral vessels and when in
doubt American naval commanders al
ways have been cautioned to dismiss
the vessel.
It was said in official quarters that
the American Government took note of
the fact that the American citizens by
their enforced presence on board a Ger
man cruiser for more than a month
had been subjected to unnecessary
risks, which might have Involved se
rious dangers to them, and that this
probably would be one of the points in
the correspondence which is certain to
develop between the United States and
Germany over the incident.
That the Frye was carrying wheat
and no other kind of, cargo has been
established In official reports. The
German commander asserts that as the
wheat was consigned "to order" and
bound for England, it therefore could
be presumed to be contraband.
The fact that the cargo was sold
while in transit to a British firm would
, jn hA Anlniin n f .. Pf ( i i T a alto tho
necessity in case of capture for bring
ing me caru mm iiui l lur aujuun..
tlon. especially since Germany has re
cently expressed its views on the sub
ject of foodstuffs and conditional con
traband aboard neutral vessels.
Quarter-Deck Court Disapproved.
The United States Government has
repeatedly maintained that the destruc
tion of a neutral vessel in maritime
war is not justified alone by the pres
ence of contraband aboard, although
the character of the cargo, that is if
confessedly contraband, such as arms
and ammunition, would be a controls
ling factor in deciding the case. More
over, the German government has
given assurances that it would not de
tain foodstuffs destined to the civilian
population of an enemy.
As there is no proof, available on the
high seas that the cargo would be
used by the belligerent forces of an
enemy, international law authorities
of various countries hold such
questions should be settled in prize
courts and not "quarter deck courts."
The Russian instructions to naval
commanders during the Russo-Japanese
war. after the destruction of
some neutral vessels had caused a
stir among neutrals, were announced:
"Russian vessels are not to sink
neutral merchantmen with contraband
on board in the future except in case
of dire necessity, but in cases of emer
gency, to send prizes into neutral
ports."
The Japanese regulations were of
the same character, but the British
manual of naval prize law declares
that "If the commander Is unable to
Smokers ot
Turkish Trophies
Cigarettes fifteen years ago
are smokers of
Turkish Trophies
Cigarettes today !
fe,L".iJI!HI!!llfTOl,,!l"X,H!:!fl"Jll11- -VIM-
1
In Count Leo Tolstoi's Modern Drama
"Kreutzer Sonata"
This great picture portrays a terrible warning to clandestine love
and mercenary marriage.
Coming Sunday Elinor (ilyn's Sensational Drama
iniLL IfEiLilViJ and Royal Intrigue
Shows Start 10:30 A. M.
Leading Photo-Play Theater - West Park and Alder
7SOO PEOPLE YESTERDAY SAW
13). Tf p
TODAY 1 1:30 A.M. TO 1 1:30 P.M.
TOMORROW 1 1:30 A.M. TO 1 1:30 P.M.
Coming
Sunday
spare a prize crew to navigate a ves
sel to a port of adjudication, the com
mander should release the vessel and
carfro without ransom, unless there is
clear proof that she belongs to the
enemy. If. in either of these cases,
them 1.x clpar oroof that the vessel
inni in the enemv. the commander
should remove her crew and papers,
and if possible her cargo, ana tnen
destroy the vessel."
The American naval ruins proviao
EXCURSION
(TWO
SPECIAL 1
TRAINS J
TUESDAY, MAR. 16
TO
ASTORIA-FLAVEL
HARBOR CELEBRATION
Portland Business Men's Organization' welcome of
the first of the six-deck 'Talaccs of the Pacific," R. S.
"GREAT NORTHERN," inaugurating regular passen
ger and freight service between rortland-Astorin-Flavel-San
Francisco.
ONE DOLLAR AND FIFTY CENTS
First Special Train Leaves Portland 8 A. M.; arrives Astoria 11, Flaval
H'"!0 A M. Second Special Train Leaves Portland "0 A. M.; arrives
Astoria 11:30 A. M., Flavel 1J M. (Reg-ular local train leaves :40 A. M.)
RETURNING: First Special Train Leaves Flavel T. M; arrives
Portland 6:30 P. M. Second Special Train Leaves navel I P. M.; ar
rives Tortland 7 P. M.
THE NORTH BANK
Admission 10c
CwS"f psH"WWrW"'1''
ELSIE
JAMS
IN "CAPRICES OF KITTY"
for the destruction of n enemy hip.
after taltinc off crew and pnaaenirer.".
hut the latest opinion of the I'nitcl
States naval war college adds:
"If a selicd neutral vessel cannot
for any reason be brought inlo port
for adjudication. It should be dl
missed." Tho Uovrr .trails are only 31 miles .li
st i-Hlals, wlilrh han bwn conuect.il lli
IlrtVfr by rbl stnre. I .M .
THE
ROUND
TRIP
ROAD
Ticket office 5th and
Stark; Sta., 10th, Hoyt.
G
0