PRINZ EITEL FRIEDRICH.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 37, 14 June 1915, Page 3

PRINZ EITEL FRIEDRICH.

END OF RAIDERS CAREER. GERMAN CAPTAIN'S BLUFF. A LAME DUCK. The London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes under date April 13th:— With the exception of the Kronprinz Wilhelm, which was interned yesterday at Hampton Roads, Virginia, the I'nnz Eitel Eriedrieh was the last of Germany's fleet of M auxiliary cruisers which were in operation at the beginning of the war. She is the sixth German vessel to intern and the third to intern at an American port since the war began, the other being the Geier at Honolulu, and the Cormorant at Guam, Philippine Islands. The formal internment of the ship is described as the last act of a roaring farce. It was known in well-in-formed marine circles that when the cruiser entered Newport News on March 1U she was practically dead beat, and could not put to sea with

any degree oi speed under three months.

" Captain Shierichens knew this as well as anybody else, but in spite of his knowledge he began a series of bluffs with the object of proving that he was ready to dash to sea any minute. With this end in view the ship was fully provisioned, temporary repairs were made, and enough coal was taken on board to carry the vessel to 'Bremen. The German captain received interviewers daily, telling them that he was simply waiting a word from Tirpritz, who was trying to send the Yon der Tann to his rescue, with strPmarines on her deck. The plan was for the submarines to attack the enemy while the Von dvv Tann made a diversion from the sea. and the Eitel Eriedrieh escaped from harbor. The inhabitants of Newport News •greatly enjoyed the excitement of the visit, and crowd* waited nightly in the expectation of seeing the cruiser dash for liberty. The crew were allowed enormous quantities of beer daily, and were very festive in entertaining the 1 townsfolk whenever the latter were ! allowed to pay a visit. Finally, the j United States Customs gave the vessel '2-1 hours' notice in which to leave or intern, and this expired at midnight, when Captain Thiericheiis said: "The fates have been against me. I must intern, as J cannot risk my men. The help expected has not arrived, if the German Admiralty had- sent me aid 1 would have risked my ship and 500 men, but to do so now would be simply murder." THE COMMANDER WEEPS.

Captain Thierchens wept copiously when ho confessed that necessity made him yield to the silent presure of English sea power. The following is the commander's quaint note asking to be interned:—"To the Collector of Customs, — 1 inform you that 1 intend to intern S.M.S. Prinz Eitel Friedrich. The relief 1 expected appears not to arrive in time, so the number and force of the enemy cruiser:; watching the entrance of the bay makes to me impossible the dash for the open sea with any hope of success. I have decided, not to deliver crew and ship, to the fruitless ami certain destruction. Being obliged for the courtesy .shown by all the United States authorities, 1 am expecting your orders. 1 have sent 3 same information to Rear-ad-miral Helm, U.S.S. Alabama.—Respeaeefully, April 7, 1915, Thierichens." —All this time warships of the Allies had been pratiently waiting off Virginia Capes; but they were not particularly alarmed, because they knew that the Prinz Eitel was one of the lamest ducks on the ocean. HER CAREER, The Prinz Eitel Friedrich arrived at Newport News on March 11, her boilers and machinery being badly in need of repair. The American Neutrality Hoard recommended that the vessel should be allowed sufficient time to effect such repairs as to render her seaworthy. These appear to have been completed about a week ago, and from day to clay it was expected that the vessel would depart.

The raider is a vessel of ahout 8800 tons, formerly in the service of the Xorddeuetscber Lloyd, She was at Tientsin on July 29, and was not reported again until November G, when she left Valparaiso. In the meantime she had obtained guns from ons of the German cruisers.

Iter raiding began with the sinking, tin December 5, off the South American coast, of the Charcas, a British chartered vessel, belonging to the William R. Grace Company, of New York. The next victim was the drench-collier .Jean, with 3000 tons of coal for British war vessels. The Jean was towed to Raster Island, where she was sunk. The British vessel Kildalton was caught and destroyed on the way. The crews of these ships wore left on Raster Island. Other vessels sunk wore the Isabel Browne (Russian), Pierre Loti (French), William P. Frye (American), Jacobsen (French), fnvercoe (British), .Mary Ada Short (British.), Floride (French)., and Willerby (British).