File No. 857.857/96
The Consul at Cork ( Frost) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 15.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit hereby, in duplicate (i. e., the original and a copy), an affidavit; by a seaman of American nationality and a seaman of Cuban nationality regarding the destruction of the Norwegian bark Blenheim on the 22d instant by a German submarine off the southwest coast of Ireland.1 A confirmation copy of a cabled despatch in regard to the loss of the Blenheim is also enclosed.1
The Blenheim case was brought to my attention only when it was too late to take the officers’ affidavit without dislocating the traveling arrangements of 14 persons; but I was able, to talk with Captain Larsen for ten minutes at Cork just as he was taking his train, and I caused the two affiants to be detained in order that a sworn statement might be provided. Salomon Troiche, the Porto Rican, has lived in San Francisco since the 6th year of his age, and is now 21 years old. He speaks English perfectly, and in addition proved to be highly intelligent and an excellent witness in every way. The Cuban, Rosa, was sworn only to give a little added weight to the affidavit, as he is of a very inferior type and contributed virtually nothing to the document.
The master stated to me orally that he was on the bridge when he heard the warning gun from the submarine, at 9 a.m., and that he immediately flew a flag signal to the effect that he would at once put off to visit the submarine. He estimated the distance as [Page 176] nearly 3 miles at the time the shot was fired; but the submarine had come relatively close to the vessel by the time he reached the former He considered that the Germans showed every courtesy consistent with the, execution of their orders. His other statements were in general confirmation of the facts as incorporated in the affidavit of Troiche and Rosa.
This case merely confirms what was already clear, that when weather conditions are favorable, and there is neither attempt to escape’ nor alarm from admiralty patrols, the Germans make a virtue of extending civilities to the persons on board the ships they destroy. It does not have any contradictory bearing as to the perfectly unrelenting manner in which the submarines, carry out their orders when the situation is adverse to them. I have no doubt that this same submarine in the Blenheim case would have forced the crew overboard in their two leaky boats without any compunction, had the weather been never so inclement.
It may be noted that in none of the cases reported by this Consulate, still, has a submarine been destroyed. The naval officers here are naturally reticent; and I hesitate to seek to pierce their reserve. Nevertheless, from such conversations as I have had with them, and from rumors in circulation here, I have formed the opinion that the submarine situation has been met with moderate, but only moderate, success. There is a strong rumor that a submarine crew was landed here last week; and various other rumors are afloat as to the number of submarines destroyed. The original submarine flotilla which opened the month here appears, as has been reported, to have exhausted its supplies by about the 8th; and would reach Germany about five or six days later. None of the recent cases have indicated that it has as yet returned to the field here; the situation during the past fortnight being only slightly worse than during January, and apparently being produced by about the same submarine force as operated prior to the German declaration of January 31.
The British naval units here have been greatly strengthened since February 1; and are perhaps twice as heavy now as they were on that date. At least six torpedo-boat destroyers of modern pattern, and four British submarines, have been based here freshly; and the crack light cruiser Penelope has become Admiral Bayly’s flagship—although whether to supplement or to supplant the Adventure is not yet apparent. There seems to have been an accession of trawlers for convoy work, in addition to the swarm of trawlers on patrol work; and it is my impression that the British submarines are also used, for obvious reasons, in the convoying of ships.
Many large steamers are passing through South Irish waters unmolested.
I have [etc.]