Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Thursday 6 January 1916, page 7


BARALONG CASE.

GERMAN ALLEGATIONS.

SUBMARINE DESTROYED,

The Press Bureau has issued a memor-andum of the German Government re-garding alleged incidents associated with the destruction of a German submarine by the auxiliary cruiser Baralong on August 19, and Sir Edward Grey's reply thereto.

The German document alleges that the steamer Nicosian was stopped by a Ger-man submarine, which fired on the Nico-sian after the crew had left the ship. A steamer had been seen approaching, flying the American flag. While the submarine was firing at the Nicosian the stranger, which proved to be the Baralong, sud-denly opened fire. Hitherto she had hid-

den her arms. The submarine began to

sink, and those on board jumped over-board. Several, while clinging to ropes from the Nicosian, were killed by gunfire from the Baralong, and partly by rifle fire of the Baralong's crew. One witness, Curran, an American, states that the com-mander of the Baralong ordered the men to shoot a helpless German submarine sea-man in the water. Curran and another witness, Palen, an American, assert that the commander gave definite orders not to take any prisoners.

The German statement continues:—The commander of the submarine, while swim-ming, raised his hand in token of surren-der, but was killed by a shot in the neck. The commander of the Baralong requested the captain of the Nicosian to impress upon his crew the necessity not to say anything. No doubt the commander gave orders to kill the German seamen in a cowardly man-nor, also that the crew obeyed the order, and shared the guilt of murder. The Ger-man Government informs the British of this terrible deed, and takes it for granted the British will proceed with a charge of mur-der against the captain of the Baralong, otherwise it will consider itself obliged to take the serious decision of retribution for an unpunished crime.

The German document includes the affi-davits of six Americans aboard the Nico-sian, which is alleged to have been carry-ing 850 mules, and subsequently landed safely at Avonmouth, to where the vessel was towed and docked. Witnesses who shipped as muleteers and superintendents allege that the Baralong had large canvas shields on which the American flag was painted. Four members of the crew of the German submarine who scrambled up on the Nicosian, were found in the engine room and shot in cold blood by a boat's crew from the Baralong.

THE AFFIDAVITS.

Larimore Holland, an American, in an affidavit, said:—I was a member of the crew of the Baralong, which was a dis-guised armed cruiser. On August 10 we picked up a wireless message that a sub-marine had sunk the Arabic, and was attacking the Nicosian. We rushed to the scene. Several of the crew of the sub-marine were killed by shots in the water. Only one got aboard the Nicosian. After our crew boarded the Nicosian we found the Germans from the submarine on deck. When asked if his submarine had sunk the Arabic he refused to give any informa-tion, but said, "Why do you shoot?" A marine then shot him, and threw his body

overboard.

J. M. Garret, an American, in an affi-davit, said:—Twelve men from the sub-

marine jumped into the water Most of them were naked. Twenty five marines fired on the submarine captain while he was in the water. He saw others simi-larly shot. After the submarine was blown up the Nicosian's commander. Captain Manning ordered his men to use their oars to hit a German on the head if he swam near them.

James J. Chicago, in his affidavit, said:— The Baralong's second shot smashed the periscope of the German submarine, the

third carried away the base of the conning tower, blowing two Germans into the air. The submarine quickly sank. After the British seamen boarded the Nicosian they saw the bodies of five Germans, each with a hole in the forehead. A revolting phase of the affair was when the bodies were taken on deck some of the crew of the Nicosian kicked the dead faces before throwing the bodies overboard.

MINISTER'S REPLY.

Sir Edward Grey's memorandum to Mr Page, the American Ambassador, states:— The British note with satisfaction, though with some surprise, the German anxiety for the principles of civilised warfare to be vindicated. It is evident that to single out the case of the Baralong is the height of absurdity.

CHARGE IS NEGLIGIBLE.

Sir Edward Grey goes on to suggest that the whole question of atrocities on land and sea might fitly be examined by an impar-tial tribunal. As the very multitude of allegations against Germany would over-

load the tribunal, the inquiry might be con-fined to three incidents within a few hours of the Baralong allegations.

Britain, Sir Edward continues, has not accepted the allegations, but, in any case, the charge is negligible compared with the crimes which seem to have been de-liberately committed by German officers. Sir Edward Grey recalls that within 48 hours of the Nicosian incident a German submarine torpedoed the Arabic, and no ef-fort was made to save the crew. Forty seven non combatants lost their lives. This was an act of barbarism. In the second incident a German destroyer fired at a stranded British submarine on the Danish coast. When the crew attempted to swim ashore the destroyer fired on them. Forty eight hours later a German submarine fired shrapnel on the steamer Ruci. One of those on board was killed and eight were wounded No statement can justify that cold blooded cowardly outrage. These incidents might,with the case of the Bara-long, be brought before an impartial court —say, officers of the American navy. Bri-tain will do all in her power to further the inquiry, and carry out the findings of the Court. It is unnecessary to reply to the suggestion that the British navy is guilty of inhumanity. The number of Ger-man sailors rescued from drowning amounts to 1150. The German navy has no such record—perhaps through want of opportunity.

PRESS COMMENT.

The "Daily Mail" says that every one knows that naval humanity will emerge unscathed from un investigation. The newspaper condemns the Governments withholding retribution when overtaken by pirates

The "Daily Chronicle" describes the Ger-man allegation in the Baralong case as a foul charge, and that Sir Edward Grey has

made a fair offer.