DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

276 SUBMARINE WARFARE.
File No. 300.115042/16.
Ambassador Penfieli to the Secretary of State.
[Telegram—Paraphrase.]
No. 1654.] AMERICAN EMBASSY,
Vienna, January 23, 1917.
Mr. Penfield reports that the Minister for Foreign
Affairs had stated that, according to the data furnished
by the Austro-Hungarian naval authorities, the steamship
Chemung was on the 26th of last November stopped
near Gataby, the submarine hailing her hoisting the
signal "bring ship's papers on board" and at the same
time firing a wide warning shot across her bow. The
weather was fine and almost calm. No steps being taken
to lower a boat after the first shot, notwithstanding a
lengthy interval, a second shot was fired across her bow.
The signal was easily recognizable, the distance between
the submarine and the Chemung being about three thousand
meters. The Chemung then sent a boat with its
first officer carrying the ship's papers, which showed
that the cargo consisted of war material for Italy. The
ship's officer was then notified that the ship would have
to be sunk. He was then asked if there was any ammunition
on board, and his answer indicated there was none,
but only blasting caps in the cargo. The term "blasting
caps" being unknown on the submarine no especial
investigation was made, since it was assumed vthat if
explosives were involved the officer questioned would
have at least added a .more explanatory remark, such as
"dynamite." The signal "leave the ship" was then
hoisted and the boat returned to the ship. The entire
crew had already made preparation to leave, and upon
entering the boats carried with them their hats, overcoats,
walking sticks, and packed valises. It was clearly
in evidence that the matter of abandoning the ship had
already been considered by the crew, and therefore all
preparations had been made. The boats, after having
been launched, were rowed away to a considerable distance.
To sink the ship from leeward was the first
intention, but the submarine being then too close to the
ship after firing two shots in its stern other shots were
fired from windward at a distance of about one hundred
meters. After two or three shells had been fired the
entire steamer suddenly blew up with a violent explosion.
The falling of debris and the mainmast did no damage
to the lifeboats containing the Americans or the submarine,
notwithstanding their proximity. A suspicion
was at once aroused that the Americans had purposely
refrained from mentioning the fact that explosives were
aboard the vessel, and the Captain asked how explosives
happened to be on board. He was told that the explosion
was caused by "blasting caps," which were made of
dynamite. The two boats were then towed by the
submarine and conducted to a coast, distant about fifty
nautical miles. The boats were cast off when about
three nautical miles from shore, as an unknown steamer
appeared at a distance of about four thousand meters