THE SEEADLER'S CRUISE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10104, 11 October 1917, Page 3

THE SEEADLER'S CRUISE.

HOW THE OFFICERS AND CREW WERE CAPTURED. (Peb PbesS Association ) AUCKLAND;' Oct. 10.' The ■ following from ij„. Herald's Su'yii correspondent has been passed by the con Sdr for publieal ion : Friday, September 21, was a day of intense excitement in Suva. Early ill the morning a startling message came through that, the steamer. Amra was expected tc arrive, in port that e.ye'ning with a detachment of German They Wert members of the crew of the German raider Seaadler, which, it was stated, was, burned at. sea. The first intimation of the arrival of these unwelcome visitors to Fiji was given by it hidf-caitte named Miicphorsoii a) Loyuka. Ho said then, was a Strang* boat with six Europeans in it at WaikaVa, a small island between Oiti-Lovu ant: Vanun.-I.evu. The natives, it was stated, became alarmed because these stranger: would not talk- and were armed. It was decided to investigate the matter, and a cutter was despatched from' Levuka with Sub-Inspector 11. 0. Hills, of the Fijian Constabulary, and six Fijian police. Fortunately for this little party, a galo;blcw Up and forced them back to port. Thar night the Amra, with Captain Day in charge, arrived at Levuka, ami proceeded to Walk's va. Here they found a 22ft boat with a cutter in tow which, when the Amra was sighted, immediately put off for a; break in the reef. Captain ( Day, who was determined not to lose his quarry, lowered a boat, and Sub-.iTlspoet.or Hills and Inspector How-„f{{ and m Kiiiahs gave chase. Their ;,rift weapons were a Colt's revolver .rtlid fin automatic pistol. Fortunately, the blttlf that was being .maintained proved so successful that the occupants of the cutter did not show fight, although all wee fully armed, and they.surrendered after a short consultation. The prisoners suggested that, as there was a motor in their boat, they should tow their captors, but the offer was' rejected, and the Germans were ordered into the British boat. One German was left to work the engine of the cutter, which carried a machine-gun, 15 bombs and n largo quantity of ammunition. The British officers occupied the captured boat, and towed their prisoners to the Anna. Count von Luekner, Commander of the Seeadler, naturally was anxious to know the strength of their captors, and when it was told him that the guns ho imagined lie saw Were merely cattle pens covered with canvas, and that the crew's sole defences were a revolver and a pistol, his face was a studv. After having been, as he asserts, wounded in the battle oi Jutland, and having had command of a vessel that, according "to his story, had the proud distinction of having sunk 23 boats in the Atlantic, it was indeed an indignity for him to have surrendered to such a "blulL" The Sccadlcr's mission in the Pacific is stated to have been the capture of grain boat's, and saltpetre, but Von Luekner stated that he had had no luck. He says that he took no lives and did not sink any steamers. The logs of many destroyed vessels were on the captured boat. All the men got awav from the burning Seeadler, but Von Luekner will not say where they had intended to go, except that they expected to obtain possession of a schooner loaving Fiji for America, and to convert