DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

File No. 800.857/183a.
SUBMARINE WARFARE. 269
The Secretary of State to Charge Grew.
[Telegram—Paraphrase.]
No. 3588.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, November 18, 1916.
Mr. Lansing informs Mr. Grew that the Department is
advised that the American steamer Columbian, bound to
Genoa from St. Nazaire in ballast, was sunk on November
7 by German submarine U-49 about 50 miles northwest
of Cape Ortegal. Apparently the crew was saved.
Mr. Grew is instructed to bring to the immediate
attention of the German Government the case of the
Columbian, with a request for an investigation and
prompt report.
Pile No. 300.115C7/28.
Charge Grew to the Secretary of State,
No. 4863.] AMERICAN EMBASSY,
Berlin, December 18, 1916.
SIR: In order to complete the files of the Department,
I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy and translation
of the note from the Foreign Office, No. A. 33392,
of December 16, 1916, relative to the sinking of the
American steamship Columbian, the text of which was
telegraphed to the Department to-day in my No. 4744.
I have, etc., J. C. GREW.
The German Minister for Foreign Affairs to Charge Grew.
[Inclosure—Translation.]
A.33392. 1
J. Nr. 26117.
FOREIGN OFFICE,
Berlin, December 16, 1916.
The undersigned has the honor to make the following
reply to the note of Mr. Grew, Charg6 d'Affaires of the
United States of America, dated the 21st ultimo (F. O.
No. 14402) relative to the sinking of the American steamer
Columbian by a German submarine.
According to the investigations of the German naval
authorities the Columbian was stopped by a German
submarine at 2.30 o'clock on the afternoon of November
7th, 1916, in 44 degrees latitude north and 8 degrees 44
minutes longitude west. The weather was clear for 3
nautical miles, but wind and sea were rather heavy.
After the warning shot the flag signal "Send your papers
on board" was given. The Columbian then hoisted
the signal "I can not make out your flag." This answer
seemed proper, since as a result of the position of the two
vessels in relation to each other and of the direction of the
wind the flags blew out towards the steamer. The
submarine then approached closer under water, looked
over the steamer, which had been stopped, more carefully
through the periscope and then came to the surface close
to her. It was ascertained while the submarine was
travelling submerged that the steamer carried the
American flag and markings and bore the name Columbian,
New York; and also that she had wireless telegraphy
apparatus. According to her course the steamer came
from an English or a French port and, to judge from the