THE BARALONG INCIDENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue XLIX, 6 January 1916, Page 5

THE BARALONG INCIDENT

I A GERMAN MEMORANDUM. I ALLEGATIONS AGAINST BRITISH: j CRUISER. I AMAZING EFFRONTERY. EFFECTIVE REPLY BY SIR ED-WARD- GREY. LONDON, Jan. 4. The Press Bureau has issued a ■ memorandum by the German Government- regarding alleged incidents in connection with the destruction of a German submarine by the auxiliary cruiser Baralong on August 19th, and Sir Edward Grey s reply thereto. The' German document alleges that the steamer Nicosian was stopped by a German submarine, which fired on the Nicosian after the crew had left. A steamer, was seen approaching flying the American flag. While the submarine was fir-

ing at- the Nicosian, the stranger, which proved to be the Baralong, suddenly opened fire with hitherto hidden arms. The submarine began to sink, and tihe submarine crew jumped overboard. Several clinging to the ropes of the Nicosian -were killed by the gunfire 'of "the Baralong, and partly by rifle* fire from the Baralong's crew. One witness, Cur ran, -an American', states that the commander of the Baralohg ordered, his men to shoot the helpless German seamen in the water. Curran and another -witness named Kalen, also an American, assert that the commander gave a definite order not to takeprisoners. The statement continues: The commander of. the submarine, while, swimming, raised, his-hand , t<\ surrender. He was shot in the.neck and killed The commander of the Bar along- requested the captain of the Nicosian to impress upon his crew the necessity of not saving anything. There is no doubt- the commander gave orders to kill the German seamen in a cowa<rdly manner, and' also that the crew obeyed in. order to share his guilt for the mui'der. The German Government inform the British.'Government of this terrible -deed, arid-take it for granted that the British Government will proceed oh a charge of murder against the caiptain of the Bararlcng. Otherwise it will consider itself obliged to take!" a serious decision for

'..retribution for the -unpunished crime., j ' Sir Edward Grey's memorandum to Mr Tage, "the American Ambassador, states [ that the British. Government note with vsatisfaction, though wnh some surprise, " the German Government's anxiety- that the principles of civilised warfare should be vindicated. ' it is evident that to single :cub the case of the Baralong is the height of absurdity, and he suggests that the whole question] of atrocities by land- and sea might bo fitly examined by an impartial tribunal. As the .very multitude of the allegations against Germanywould overload the tribunal, the inquiry ' might be confined to three incidents which occurred wit-liin a few hours of the Ba-ralohg allegations. < But in any case the charge is negligible compared with the crimes which seem to have been deliberately committed by German offi- ! cers. j Sir Edward Grey recalls that wit run 48 hours of the Nicosian incident a Ger- •! man submarine torpedoed the Arabic, and made no' effort, to save the crew. Forty-seven npn-combatants lost their lives -by tllis act of barbarism.' Tn the second incident a German destroyer fired on a stranded British submarine on the Danish coast, and when ■the crew attempted to swim ashcre the destroyer fired on. them. Forty-eight hours later a German submarine fired shrapnel at the steamer Ruel, one person being killed and eight -wounded. No statement is offered justi- ' fying this cold-blooded and cowardly outrage. Sir Edward Grey concludes: These incidents might with the case of the Ba-ra-long be brought before an impartial court, composed, say, of officers of the American Navy. Britain would do all in her power, to further the inquiry and to carry out the finding of the court. It is unnecessary to reply to a suggestion that the British has been guilty of inhumanity. The number of German sailors rescued from; drowning amounts to 1150. The German navy lias no such record, perhaps through want, of opportunity." AMERICANS' AFFIDAVITS. LONDON, Jan. 4. The German document includes the affidavits of six Americans who were on board the iNicosian, which was alleged to be . carrying 350 mules, which were landed safely at Avonmouth, wihither she Hvas towed .and docked. The witnesses, who shipped as muleteers and superintendents, allege that the Baralong had- large' canvas shields on which the American flag was... pain ted.. . the German submarine's! crew who scrambled np the • side of the Nicosian (

were found in the engine room slidt iii cold blood by the Baralong's boat crew. L. Holland, an American mate, in an affidavit says: "I was a member of the crew of the Baralong, which was a disguised armed cruiser. On August 19th we picked up a wireless that the submarine which sank the Arabic was attacking the Nicosian. We rushed to the scene. Several of the crew of the submarine were killed by shots while in the water. Only one got on board, the Nicosian. After our crew boarded the Nicosian we found a, submarine seaman on deck. When asked if his,submarine sank tihe Arabic he refused to give any information and said. 'Why do you shoot?' A marine then shot him and" threw, the body overboard."

J. M. Garrett, an American, in his affidavit, says twelve of the submarine's crew jumped into bile water, most of them naked. Twenty-five marines fired on the submarine captain ■while he was in the water. He saw others similarly shot . After the submarine was blown up the Nioosian's captain, Manning, ordered men with cars to 'hit a German on the head if he swam near. „ James J. Chicago, in an affidavit, says the Baralong's second shot smashed the submarine's periscope, and the third carried away the base of the conning tower, blowing two Germans into the air. The submarine quickly sank. After British seamen boarded the Nicosian he saw the bodies -oi five Germans, each with a i.ole in the forehead. A revolting phase of the affair was that when the bodies were taken on deck some of tihe crew of the Nicosian kicked the dead in the faces before throwing them overboard.

! NAVAL HUMANITY WILL EMERGE UNSCATHED. (Rec. Jan. 6, 8.50 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 5. The "Daily Mail" says that everyone knows that naval humanity will emerge unscathed from the investigation, and condemns the Government .withholding retribution which has overtaken the pirates. The "Chronicle" describes the Bari'alon,g incident as a foul charge and a fair offer.