GERMAN CRUISER IN TERNED AT GUAM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16285, 19 January 1915, Page 10

GERMAN CRUISER IN TERNED AT GUAM.

SHIP BOUGHT FROM RUSSIA. (Now York Times.) WASHINGTON, December 15. T!ii; Cormorant, n converted cruiser of tlio German navy, was to-day interned at tin; American naval base at Guam, with 22 olliccia and 355 men, and will be lirld thero until the closo of the war in Europe- 1 . Tim Cormorant's captain decided to intern when informed that he would not be allowed to take on moro tiiari 10U lons of coal from tho American navy's coal pile at Guam. A cable message received by the Navy Department to-day from Captain W. J. Maxwell, tho Governor of Guam, timed 5 p.m. yesterday, reported that the Cormorant entered Guam at 11 o'clock yu-terday morn, iriK short of eoal, provisions, and water, aiid adced for 1500 tons of coal. One hundred tons of coal were offered and provision for the immediate need of fresh water. 'ilic commanding? officer was told to choose Instween leaving .port within 24 hours arid interning. lie iiad until 10 o'clock this inorninp to decide. The Navy Department approved the Governor's aet.ion, and instructed him not to allow the vessel more coal and provisions than could be properly spared. Date this afternoon Secretary Daniels was notified bv Captain Maxwell that tho commander of tho Cormorant had decided to allow the vessel to he interned. When asiccd why not more than 100 tons of coal "would ho allowed. Secretary Daniels replied that there was only Government coal at Guam, and that tho amount sought by tho Cormorant's captain could not be spared. Little is known of the Cormorant here except that she is a converted cruiser of SGOO tons displacement, acquired by Germany from Russia. Information at; to how Germany acquired vessel from her present enemy is not obtainable. It is supposed tho ship has boon employed by the Germans as a destroyer of commerce, in the Pacific. At, first this vessel was believed hero to bo the unprotected cruiser Cormoran, a vessel of only 1600 tons displacement, but Captain Maxwell's later message announcing' the decision of the craft to intern corrected that impression. This is the second German warship to intern in American waters since the outbreak of the war. Tho other, the Geier, interned at Honolulu some time Tho officers and men of tho vessels will have to remain interned until the close of the war unless the Allies consent to their parole.