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Show GERMAN PREPARES Prince Eitel Friedrich Appears to Be in Readiness Read-iness to Make Race for Libeity Out of Neutral American Port. OTHER SHIPS ARE DETAINED Every Opportunity Is Given the Raider to Leave Newport News on Its Race for the Open Sea. NEWPORT NEWS, Va., April 7. The Eitel had not moved from her position at 3:30 o'clock this morning. morn-ing. Had she departed at that hour it would have been impossible for her to have made the" open sea before be-fore daybreak, as the trip would require more than two hours under the fastest steaming of which the cruiser is capable. It was believed here virtually certain at that hour the cruiser would not dash for the capes this morning. Officials were in constant communication com-munication with. Washington, with the battleship Alabama in Hampton Roads, and with the Norfolk navy yard. XEVTPOBT XEWS, April 6. Shortly before midnight tonight everything appeared ap-peared to be in readiness for the German Ger-man auxiliary cruiser Prinz Eitel FTiednch to leave the Nevrport News shipyards. Collector of Customs Hamilton, who had visited the Eitel during the evening, even-ing, vfas given a jovial farewell by the officers. The first otScer invited him to stay aboard, saying: "I wish you would remain and go with us.' Says His Adieus. Commander Thieriehens, it was learned, had bade farewell to American government govern-ment officials in his visits today to the. battleship Alabama and to the customs house. The collector in turn wished the German commander and his officers bon voyage. At 11 o'clO'.-k tonight Admiral Beatty, commandant at tile Xorfolk navy yard, transmitted a radiogram to the customs houee hcrf. Collector Hamilton remained at Ills office awaiting developments. Attaches At-taches of the office were keeping !n touch with tlle German ship as closely as possible. pos-sible. That no one knew exactly what were the plans of the German commander seemed aprarent. A newspaper boat which steamed up the river, the only point from which the raider could be seen, was not pi'-ked up by the German cruiser's searchlights, as had been the case on previous occasions. Even the naval tug Patuxent did not flash her lights until the dispatch boat lad passed. On board ship there appeared ap-peared to bo activity, but there were few lights and ports were heavily curtained. Way Is Cleared. The wav for the German merchant raider Prinz Eitel Friedrich to leave neutral waters was cleared today b' the United States government. Orders were given not to tako the merchant ship ot any belligerent enemy of Germany out of Norfolk and .Newport .New-port until" further notice. The order went into effect about 11 o'clock- today, to-day, following a direction by British authorities au-thorities last night to British captaius not to clear their ships after noon o any day while the Eitel a status remained re-mained in doubt. I Ships Are Detained. The government's action served to arouse the British authorities considerably consider-ably when appeals for information as to when the piloting ban would be lifted met with no explanation. Although Al-though no official interpretation of the government order could be procured, it generally was understood that the time had expired which had been allotted the Eitel lor repairs and that meicliant ships of belligerents had been detained in port in order to extend a final period of liberty for departure to the German cruiser. surprising development in tills con-ne-tlnn was that the holding up of British Brit-ish ships last Friday night for twenty-four twenty-four hours, thus giving the first period of libertv to the Eitel. had not been brought about hv the Untied States government. gov-ernment. According to authentic Infor- (Continued on Pago Two.) GN CRUISER PREPARES FOR DASH i I, i i i i (Continued froro. Page One) at on 1 ero It was 1 e result of d re ons hy the B ltlsh governn en through co suls of these ports Tttda s action was t e f rst def nlte step by tl e United S ate to open ths co se to the sea for the T tel taptali The id en commander of the ire ca ed on Collector of l ston s Ham ton late In t e afte noon and later t e o e or et ed the si Conflicting Rumors Wl ether the Gem a conma der wo Id ha e taken ad an age of t e op port nlty afforded h to get back o e g 'eas coul 1 ot be ascerta ed nn o fl ot ng r o s pen ated That t e ship was p epared for depart uro to Ight was undo bled but that she would at en pt o das t ro g t e fleet ot 1 od warsh pa off t e v rgln a capes seemed nc ed hie o perso s in closi; 0 ch wi h e a atlo T e captain of t o Br s steaner N b an w ch a 1 n1 d ng he da eported a ad pi ed as a ame 1 e capeo f0 B a -nrsh pa and one T enc HO Hen e " on gn g eapnaSt. n p o a Nn a N N h n rr r n nd i. " r n g r k x r an ce |