HOW THE APPAM WAS CAPTURED

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2686, 4 February 1916, Page 5

HOW THE APPAM WAS CAPTURED

SHAM TRAMP WITH MASKED GUNS' A NICE POINT FOR HIGH-SEA LAWYERS • The High Commissioner reports:— London, February 2, 11.50 a.m. "The Appam was captured by the Moewe, which lias also captured otter ships." . CLOSE GUARD OVER THE APPAM RIVAL CLAIMS TO POSSESSION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Washington, February 2. Lieutenant Berg (in charge of the prize crew which brought the Appam to port) lias asked the United States'_ to consider the Appam. a fair prize of war. A close guard is being maintained on the vessel, and it is impossible to obtain the real facts of the capture. The British Consul at New York (Mr. C. W. Bennett) liow announces that no submarine accompanied the Appam. The whereabouts of the Moewe is not discoverable. It is believed that the Appam had half a million sterling of South African bullion on board. " The British Ambassador (Sir C. .A. Spring Rice) has formally demanded the return of the Appam to her British owners, under Article 21 cf Tho Hague Convention. It is probable that tl;o case will be referred to the United States Supreme Court. It is understood that tho raider Moewe escaped through the Kiel Canal in order to raid British shipping. [Article 21 of Tho Hague Convention, No. XIII (1907), dealing with the rights and duties of neutrals in naval warfare, is as follows:—A prize may only be brought into a neutral port on account of unseaworthiness, stress of weather, or want of fuel or provisions. It must leave as soon as the circumstances which justified its entry are at an end. If it does not, the neutral Power must order it to leavo at once; should it fail to obey, the neutral Power must employ the means at its disposal to release it, with its officers and crew, and to intern the prize crew J

STATEMENT BY THE LINER'S CAPTAIN. Norfolk (Virginia), February 2. Captain Harrison, of the Appam, asserts that it was not the Moewe which put the prize crew on board", but another German craft, whose nam© he refused to disclose. The German crew rigged explosives on board the Appam in sucli a fashion that they could destroy the entire ship at a moment's notice. The United States Neutrality Board at first held that the Appam was a "good" prize, but announced later that' it would reconsider its decision. MYSTERY CLEARING (Rec. February 3, 9.20 p.m.) i London, February' 2. As the mystery surrounding the Appam is slowly being dissipated, the humour of the incident is dawning on Britain. Solid satisfaction is felt at the safety of passengers and the crew, for whom some of the relatives had •already gone into mourning. It is announced that the Appam had forty thousand sterling in bullion on board. ... Tho mystery of the Moewe's origin is as deep as that surrounding her present whereabouts. The story that the Moewe came from the Kiel Canal, flying a neutral flag, is probably a German bluff, as also are the statements that she is carrying a battery of huge guns, including one ten-inch £un. The Moewe apparently belongs to Bremen, and is of 1251 tons. Lieutenant Berg was her commander before the war. Tho secretary of the Elder Dempster Company states that it was rumoured a fortnight ago that a German ship which had been interned at the Canaries had escaped. Other mercantile marine authorities scorn tho suggestion that tho Moewe left Germany, and escaped the vigilance of the British Navy. It is much more likely, they say, that the Germans armed the ship in some obscure American port. Moewe's Exploits. New York" reports state that Lieutenant Berg told Mr. Hamilton, The Collector of Customs, that the Moewe sank tho Firringford, with five thousand tons of copper, on January 10, and also captured and put a prize crew on the Corbridgc, which was carrying six thousand tons of coal, of which six hundred tons were transferred to the Moewe to fill her bunkers. - The Moewe subsequently encountered the Dromonby, carrying five thousand tons of coal. She did not offer any resistance, ana was sunk with another vessel with five thousand tons of wheat, and a trader of six thousand tons, laden with sugar. The Moewe sank the Ariadne (five thousand tons of wheat) on January 15. The Moewo approached the Appam on July IG, sixty miles north' of Madeira, and, flying tho British flag, exchanged salutes. When near enough to cross bows, the enemy hoisted the German flag. Tho Moewe engaged the Clan MaeTavish; which sank after an exciting fight, during which the Appam, which was miles away, returned to the sccno, and rescued four men from the Clan MacTaVish, who were struggling in tho water. Lieutenant Ber" then ordered the head of the Aopam to be turned towards America. He used an unfrequented route, and flew tho British flag till the three-mile limit was Berg states that as a mercantile captain ho visited Norfolk several times as a subordinate officer of the Moewe. STORY OF THE CAPTURES 'APPAM FORCED TO ARREST TWO OTHER STEAMERS. (Rec. February 3, 10.25 p.m.) New York, February 2. The German raider Moewe, which captured the Appam on January 15, placcd a crew of twenty-two on board, under the command of Lieutenant Berg. After the Appani's capture the Moewe sank the Clan MaeTavish, which gave batLle. A portion of the Clan MacTavish's meat cargo was appropriated, and her crew placcd on the Appam. Lieutenant Berg states that he sank Six oilier vessels —the Ariadne, t.ba trader Dromonby, the Corbridge, the Fnrrinjford, and tho Arthur, and transferred their crews to the Appom. AVhcn Uie Moewe came up to the Appam she fired a single shot aeross her bows. The Appam did not resist, and was taken duo west am-oss tho Atlantic. On approaching Fortress Monroe, the

Appam, in reply to a wireless inquiry, said that she was the German cruiser liulfalo, and curried a single three-inch gun. Whether this gun was on board originally, or had been mounted by tho Germans after, is not known. The United States Embassy dots not know Lieutenant Berg, but supposes that ho belongs to tho auxiliary sen-ice. It is stated here that the Mocwo was a survey ship from Kiel, and that she cruised in the North Sea under a Swedish flag. She Hew the British Hag in the Atlantic, hoisted the German Hag on approaching the Appam, and dropped her dummy sides, displaying her armanent. The Appam arrived flying the German flag. Twelve of tho crew from a submarine were 011 board. . ■' Alter tlmt the Appam was armed, and captured two British vessels en route to America, which were disposed of. It is expected that the submarine crew on board the Appam will clect to be interned, instead of risking capture on the return voyage. If the authorities decide that tho Appaiii is a merchant ship she. will be returned to the British at the end of the war; ii considered to be an auxiliary cruiser she will be- returned to Germany at tho end of the war. Lieutenant Berg states that the Clm MacTavisli made a gallant fight. Fifteen of those on board were killed. Uner and Tramp. Captain Harrison, of tho Appam, tells a story resembling fiction. He says: "We were travelling at a fair speed. It was'a bright dav, and we sighted what seemed to be an ordinary tramp. . Slio closed in, but'we did not fear any danger. Suddenly tho tramp fired across our bows. I hove-to, and the tramp's forecastlc-liead fell away, revealing, a battery of huge guus. We surrendered to a prize crew, which boarded 115 under cover of the raider's guns. They disarmed our crew, and locked them in the cabins, then liberated twenty German prisoners, who assisted the prize-crew. Many of the prisoners from vessels which had previously been sunk wero transferred to the Appam. A German was stationed at the wireless apparatus, and received messages, but was ordered not to send out any list which irould reveal the whereabouts of the_ Appam's passengers. The crew were exercised a few at a time. No complaint as to treatment was received." APPAM'S PASSENGERS LANDED (Rec. February 4, 1.5 a.m.) London, February 3. The Appam's passengers have been landed. THE CLAN MACTAVISH'S CARCO. (Rec. February 4, 0.10 a.m.) Sydney, February 3. _ Besides her New Zealand cargo, the. Clan MacTavisli took large consignments of general cargo from various Australian ports, including 8126 bales of wool. The ship was valued at £140,000, and the cargo at £350,000. Tho cargo taken from New Zealand by. tho Clan- liner Clan MacTavisli, which was reported as having been sunk by the Germans, was as follows: — Shipped at AVcilington by tho Wellington Moat Export Company —3778 carcasses lamb, 3231 carcasses mutton, 661 quarters beef, 738 bags mutton. By the Wellington Farmers' Meat Co., Masterton —4191 carcassas lamb. By the National Mortgage Agency, from Manawatu and Longburn Works, from Wanganui—979 quarters beef. By Tlios. Borthwick and Sons, fromWaitara—72S9 quarters beef, 1318 .sacks boned beef, 9468 carcasses mutton, 122 sacks boned beef, 100 boxes boned beef, 9468 carcasses mutton, 122 sacks hides, 215 cases canned meats, 93 casks tallow. .Captain W. Olliver was in command of tho Clan MaoTavish, and his officers wore as follow:—Chief, Mr. George; second, Mr. Macintyre; third, Mr. M. Macintyro; fourth, Mr. W. T. Phillips. Mr. L. M'Taning was chief engineer, Mr. W. Alexander second, Mr. J. King third, Sir. I. Th6ma£ fourth, Mr. D. S. iivder fifth. Mr. A. Anderson was chief refrigerating engineer, and Mr. AV. JNiven was his assistant. Messrs. Hayward, Hinburn and G, Brown wore midshipmen, -while Mr. S. Lloyd was wireless operator . Her crew were all coolies.

OUR LOSSES IN MARITIME SHIPPING NEW TONNAGE GREATER THAN THE TOTAL LOST. London, February 1. Mr. Norman Still, presiding at a shippers' meeting at Liverpool, said that 1050 vessels had been entered under the war risks scheme. Tlia Germans' had destroyed sixty vessels, aggregating 345.000 tons. Wo had added seventytwo, aggregating 458,000 tans. No ship had been hfekl a day in port becauso of the crew's refusal to face the dangers of the sea. GERMAN STATEMENT FOR AMERICAN CONSUMPTION NAVAL CHIEF OF STAFF ON THE OUTLOOK. London, February 1. The German wireless service lias issued an interviov, intended for American consumption, with the Admiralty Chief of Staff, von Holtomlorlf. He states tint the English submarines havo been unsuccessful for four weeks m the Baltic. The German navy will never bo in dangor from England, bie fears the trado rivalry of the intact German merchant marine, and also the growing American navy. He denied that fifty submarines had been lost; not one-half that number had gono. Replving to a question as to whether there would be a big naval battle, lie replied: "The decision does not rest with us, but we are always piepaied.