ECHO OF THE EMDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16234, 20 May 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

ECHO OF THE EMDEN.

CAPTAIN'S SALVAGE CLAIM.

SHOT FROM H.M.S. YARMOUTH. A PBAMAXic story of the sea "was lately told in the Admiralty Court before Sir Samuel Evans.

It dealt with the recapture by H-M.S. Yarmouth of a vessel which had been seized by the Emden, whose prize crew locked the captain in his cabin, threatened the crew with revolvers, and posted notices promising death, not only for resistance, but for every neglect of orders issued by the officer of the prize crew. Mr. Laing, KG, said the action was the first ever heard for remuneration for prize salvage and recapture. The claim was brought by Captain Henry Lake Cochrane and the crew of H-M.S. Yar month, a light cruiser, displacing 5250 tons, and carrying eight 6m and four O-pounder guns, and a complement of -»_ officers and men, against the owners of the Greek s.s. Pontoporos, 4049 tons gross, which was captured bv the Emden in the Bay of Bengal on October 10, 1914, while carrying coals consigned by British merchants at Calcutta to British merchants at Karachi. Sent to the Bottom. The Emden, having captured the vessel, proceeded to coal herself from it, taking a thousand tons, and giving the crew, in order to secure their assistance in loading, lavish promises of an early return to the bosoms of their families and 500 dollars. She was found by the Yarmouth lashed alongside the German s.s. Markomannia, a supply ship to the Emden. The Markomannia at once cast off and made full speed for the three mile limit of the coast of Sumatra; but a shot across her bows from the Yarmouth promptly brought her to. She was captured, boarded, and when her captain and crew had been taken off, sent to the bottom. On board the Pontoporos the Yarmouth's captain found Sub-Lieutenant Mayer of the German navy and a prize crew from the Emden. These were all made prisoners of war, and removed to the Yarmouth.

Cyphers Burled Overboard. On the approach of the Yarmouth the German officers threw overboard cyphers, confidential documents of their own, and their- crew's arms. The claim on behalf of the Yarmouth, said Mr. Laing, was that the Pontoporos was saved from certain destruction by the Emden. Her value was given in the pleadings as £20.000, and that of her cargo as £6000. She had been the subject of prize court proceedings at Singapore, having been handed over to a French cruiser for convoy to PeUang. The Crown there asked for condemnation of the .ship and cargo, under suspicion that she was in league with the Emden; but the captain of the Pontoporos cleared himself, and the Prize Court ordered the vessel's release. The Crown, however, decided to appeal, but eventually the Admiralty instead gave Captain Cochrane leave to bring this action. " Brutal" Treatment. The master of the Pontoporos told the Prize Court that he suffered great oppression and annoyance by the brutal treatment of the Germans, 'who threatened the exasperated crew with death, and created a terrible state of affairs for a week, The Emden took away the engineer, who was the only Britisher on board, and while the Pontoporos was with her the Emden sank eight British vessels with their cargoes. Captain Cochrane, in his evidence, said he hung about for some time after he captured the Pontoporos, looking for the Emden; but she kept out of his way, and was not accounted for and driven ashore until the third week in November.

Captain Cochrane admitted in crossexamination by Mr. Dawson Miller, K.C.. that "had never heard of the Emden sinking a neutral ship. Mr. Miller: The record of the master of the Emden was one of humanity towards all the people he came acsoss. Captain Cochrane (smiling): lam sure I dop't know as to that. Mr. Dawson Miller,, for the defence, urged that the Pontoporos had been promised release by the Emden in a few days as a neutral engaged in lawful trade. As to her cargo, one-eighth value had already been deducted by the prize court at Singapore for salvage. The affidavit of value was sworn at £40.000. Answering the contention for the Pontonoros that the Germans would have soared her, Mr. Laing cited the cases of the condemnation by German prize courts of seven or eight neutral vessels, half a dozen Danish and one Dutch. According to German prize law, the Pontoporos was doomed to capture: her cargo of coal was German contraband.