"LOOTED ON THE SEAS."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 180, 8 January 1915, Page 8

"LOOTED ON THE SEAS."

AN AMERICAN SENSATION. SUPPLIES FOR GERMAN CRUISER. At this moment, when the American Note dealing with the British treatment of American consignments aliout is being discussed, it is interesting to read the following story. It treats of the now famous Sacramento incident, and was printed in the San Francisco Weekly Chronicle under the title "American Vessel Looted on Seas." "What promises to be the most important development in connection with the European war which the'. Pacific Coast has furnished since hostilities began is outlined in a despatch received from Santiago, Chile, telling of the Beizure on the high seas of the American steamship Sacramento, formerly the Kosmos liner Alexandria, by a German warship, and the confiscation of (iOOO tons of coal and 1000 tons of foodstuffs. Although this seizure appears on its face to be a most flagrant violation of neutrality, according to Government officials, it merely bears out the predictions made all along the San Francisco water-front for weeks before the Sacramento sailed from this port. In spite of the change of registry from the German to the American flag, and in spite of , the three weeks' Federal investigation which preceded the issue of clearance papers, it was common rumour among seafaring men that the $-icra. ,v 'CPto's I cargo was in some manner destined to Buccour a German man-of-war.

Ami this prophecy, which was openly made in shipping circles during the entire three "weeks that the Sacramento and her significant ?argo of coal and foodstuffs was awaiting Uncle Sam's permission to leave this port, has been fulfilled. Whether the fulfilment was by accident, by design, or by a deliberate violation of neutrality on the part of some German warships, is something to be determined by the rigid and immediate investigation which was promised last night by Collector of the Port J. 0. Davis, who signed the clearance papers for the Sacramento. "The despatch which tells of the transfer of the American ship's cargo to the hold of a German war vessel is brief and lacking of important details—but it tells tile all-important fact that a cargo of great value-to a man-of-war, but carried under the American flag and properly consigned to the port of Valparaiso, Chile was arrested on the high seas and confiscated.

TAKEN TO JUAN FERNANDEZ. "According to the despatch the news was brought into Valparaiso, when the Sacramento arrived there —minus her 1 cargo. In explaining his loss, Captain Jacobsen, of the Sacramento, merely stated that his steamer was' seized on the high seas by "a German warship," and convoyed to Juan Fernandez Island, off the coast of Chile. Here, lie says, he was "obliged by the Germans," to turn over his provisions and about 5000 tons of coal. The date on which this act took place and the name of the German warship and its commander are details that are omitted in Captain Jacobsen's account. | When the news reached San Francisco !it created different emotions in the 5 various places to which it spread. Along 1 the water front the wiseacres smiled, ' winked, and said, 'I told you so!' In the ' Berkeley home of Collector of the Port i J. O. Davis, it created a commotion, and the collector was visibly concerned over the outcome. " 'lt Rceir.3 hardly possible,' he said 'that a Ccrmsin warship would take by force an American ship, and yet if this has happened otherwise the American owners are in a mighty bad fix. The Sacramento is an American ship, there is no question about that. Most of the owners testified before me as to the ownership. '"I can hardly conceive of American citizens entering into such a contract as would be implied if the forcible capture did not take place. The whole affair looks very suspicious and will start a big investigation, no matter which of j the two answers may be the true one.'

OWNERS NOT STRAIGHTFORWARD. "Everybody knew when the ship sailed ' wliom tho cargo was for,' declared Admiral Pond, who is in charge of one of the naval offices. 'But there was no way for us to stop the ship from sailing unless we could show fraud. Anyone can ship stores to the Germans, or to any other nationality, subject, of course, to capture. It is even said that United States manufacturers will ship submarines to Germany, The law of contraband goods will cover that point. But what we do not like about this affair is that the owners seemed not to have been straightforward. If .this is true they should be punished for sailing under false pretences; The whole scheme, probably, was cut and dried to meet the Germans and transfer the cargo.' "Baron 13. H. Von Shack, ConsulGeneral of Germany, offered two explanations of tho incident. " 'ln the first, place,' he said, 'I do not for a moment believe that a German warship forcibly took the cargo of tlir Sacramento, or of any other vessel fiyi:;; the American flag. If tho cargo was transferred, it may have been done through wireless orders from th:: consignee of the cargo, or the captain may have exercised the prerogative which permits the captain of a neutral vessel to dispose of his cargo, or any part of it, to the commander of a war vessel, even if the warship belongs to a power at war.'"