PROVISIONS FOR THE GERMANS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 153, 26 December 1914, Page 3

PROVISIONS FOR THE GERMANS

AMERICAN SHIP CAPTURED A CURIOUS SITUATION. KOSMOS BOAT CHANGES REGISTRY. A CLEVER PLAN. I FROM OUK OAN CORKESPOtiDENT.) SAN FRANCISCO, 24th Nov. A telegram Irosn Santiago, Chile, published in Sunday morning's papers. telLs of the seizin o and looting of the Amencati steamer Satiamento (formerly the German liner Aloxdrina) by a Geiman warship. Tito Saciamento t-aik-tl fiom San Franu&co on 151 h October, \\ ith 6000 tons of coal and a cargo of provisions just such as a warship would need. As a San Francisco newspaper says: "There avjs everything on board that hungry sailors would want, just what a warship would send for." And now that the cargo has fallen into the hands of a Gorman warship, all along the San Francisco waterfront is re-echoed the words: "I told you so." The history of the aifair is deeply interesting. The apparent violation of neutrality is being investigated by both the United States and Chilean Governments. The Alexdrina entered San Francisco Harbour last August, just after war had been declared, with a £100,000 cargo, barely missing capture by the British cruiser Rainbow. She lay here for some weeks, and then her ownership -was transferred to the Northern and Southern Steamship Company, «i California corporation. Her named changed to the Sacramento, f-hc loaded up with coal and provisions, ostensibly for the Port of Valparaiso, Chile. But before she was given leave to depart from San Francisco a very strict N investigation wa6 conducted by the port officials of the Federal Government. The British ConBui here protested against the change of registry, and the ship was held up for weeks, guarded by warships under orders from Washington. Then she was released, and the nature of her cargo being known it wjs generally felt it was intended for German consumption. The British Consul declared the whole thing was " humbug." It is said the Sacramento was chased down the coast by British and Japanese warships, who intended to tow her into port at, a prize of war, and have the ease tried out in j a Court, but the Sacramento escaped. Collector of the Port Davis, the representative of the Federal Government in harbour matters in San Francisco, hod the following to say when informed what had happened to the caTgo : — " This looks very bad. Ido not think the. ship was captured. It is unbelievable that the German Navy would for.cibly take piovisions from an American fchip. Evidently they ,do not believe the seizure story oven in Chile. The whole thing puts the American owners in a very bad light. It looks as though they deceived ut. They all testified to me- under oath. We had an exhaustive examination. Wlien American citizens will deceive the American Government in violation of neutrality, what is there to do? What can we expect' If the Sacramento clandestinely carried provisions and fuel to the German Navy it was dono through the <iid of American citizens, and it was a very reprehensible thing. Ido not know what can be done • about it." P v ear- Admiral Pond, in charge of the Twelfth Naval District, which includes San Franeicco. says that everyone knew when the Sacr.unonto sailed who the cargo was for. " But there was no way for us to stop the ship unless wo could show fraud," he added. " Anyone can ijiip stores to the Germans, or to any ; other nationality, subject, of course, to i capture. It is even spid that United States majinfactureis will ship submarines to Germany. Tho law of contraband will cover that point. But what we do not like about this affair is that the owners seem not to have been straightforward. If this is true they should be punirhed for Bailing under false pretences. The whole scheme, probably, wa» cut and dried to meet the Germans and transfer the- cargo. At the time the Sacramento sailed she carried about 6000 tons of coal consigned to Valparaiso. . This coal cost lldol. a ton here, but at the same time the same quality of coal was selling in Valparaiso for from sdol. to Bdol. a ton. It certainly looks suspicious." ' A touch of the romantic is given the affair by the circumstance that the " looting," or transfer, of the cargo occurred at the Island of Juan Fernandez, otherwise known as Robinson Crusoe's Island, the scene of the adventures of Defoe's shipwrecked mariner. This island belongs to Chile. The newspaper despatch from Santiago states that Captain Jacobson. in charge of the Sacramento, declares that his steamer was seized on the high seas by a German warship and taken to Juan Fernandez Island, and here he was obliged to turn over the provisions and 6000 tons of coal. The Saciamento has now put into tho port of Valparaiso in ballast with this story. She had on board thirtytwo men from the French barque Valentiiie and two Chinese saved from the Tilauia, both of which ships were sunk in the Pacific by the German warship. It is stated further that all the Santiago p;vpeis comment on the use of the American fldi» by the Sacramento as a violation of Chile's neutiality, and the Chilean authorities have started an investigation to determine who is lesponsible. Crews of German ships in I Chilean waters have beep notified that their ships, have been interned, obliging ! them to ranain until the end of the war. In\ipparent contrast to the neutrality exercised by Chile is the attitude of two of the smaller South American Republics on the- Pacific coast — namely, Colombia and Ecuador. The conduct of citizens of these republics is said to have contributed to the lecont defeat of a British squadron by a Get man squadron off the coast of Chile. The German warships dre believed to have had the use ni wireless stations in both Ecuador and Colombia, by means of which they were kept informed of the movements of the enemy's ships, and made arrangements regarding supplies. A moie serious charge is that the German vessels had been making use of one of the Galapagos Islands as a base of supply. These islands belong to Ecuador, and, being opposite the entrance of the Panama Canal, have great strategic importance. This has been recoguistd by the United States in several tentative elforts to purchase the islands. Bepiesentations a.J In breaches of neutrality by Colombia and Ecuador have been made by tho British and French Governments to the United States Government, and in addition the two Latin-American Republics concerned have been warned by Gleat liiiUm and Fi.mco that the Allies will not countenance further violations of neutrality. In Washington the situation is iccomiised as a delicate one. The L nitud States Government htis directed in, diplomatic and consular service in the tfiuntiies rrlVrred to to institute enquimv. A newspaper despatch from Washington .says: '■ It was intimated that should violations of neutrality be disclosed the influence of the United States would be promptly exerted upon Latin- Ameiican States in order that full conformity with neutrality precedents might be obtained, and no "basis left for threats by belligerentß of punishment for

nations which fail in the strict observance of their obligations." Both the United and Chile States have adopted very strict regulations to prevent the use of wireless installations by belligerents. Chile, it is stated, may take the initiative, and have the South American Republics adopt uniform regulations on the wireless question.