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Show 00 UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE APPAM United States Government Has a Difficult Problem to Solve. Washington, D. C, Feb. 1. Until Un-til it is decided whether the Ger-comraander Ger-comraander aboard the .British steamer steam-er Appam brought the ship to an American port as a prize of war or as a converted auxiliary cruiser of the German navy, there will bo no determination deter-mination of the American government's govern-ment's course respecting the ship. When certain formalities have been compiled with the Bhlp's passengers including several British colonial officials, of-ficials, will be released and their disposition dis-position passed upon by Immigration authorities. Any prisoners of war will be released because international law permits no holding of war prisoners In a neutral country. The United States then, finally, will have to deal with the German crew under Lieutenant Berge, and If they are accounted in the naval service serv-ice of Germany, as were the crews of the Prinz Eitel Friedrich and tho Kronprlnz Wilholm, already Interned at the Norfolk navy yard, they, too. will be interned unless their ship' goes' to sea to run the cordon of British cruisers outside. May Put to Sea Again. As to the disposition of the Appam herself, if she is held to be an auxiliary cruiser, her commander will have the option of putting to sea after a certain time to make repairs and take on provisions, If she is declared a prize the situation becomes more complex, and in that event it is admitted ad-mitted that the United States will have to deal with probably the most novel question concerning Its neutrality neutral-ity that has arisen during the war. As one of the 'first steps the problem prob-lem probably would be referred to the neutrality board, which is an unofficial un-official body, whose function is merely mere-ly advisory-It advisory-It was pointed out at tho Btato de- partment that there Is much confusion con-fusion in the treaties and provisions of international law on tho subject of prizes and the right to convert captured cap-tured vessels into auxiliary cruisers. Secretary Lansing said today he would take time to study the important impor-tant questions Involved, announcing a decision later. If his view prevails, officials believe they seo their way clear to make disposition dis-position under article 32 of The Hague convention concerning tho rights and duties of neutral powers in naval war. Prize Court Proceedlnga. A subsequent article enlargos the power of the captor of a prize so that he may bring the captured vessel Into a neutral port "to be sequestered pending the decision of a prize court." But tho United States at the time tho treaty was made expressly doclincd to accept this article, and the debate at Tho Hague showed that the American position was strongly opposed op-posed to any such use of American ports as receptacles of any prize. It was pointed out that otherwise the United States would actually be made the base of operations by one belligerent bellig-erent against another. Submarine Excites Interests. The possibility that a German submarine sub-marine accompanied the captured British liner Appam across the Atlantic Atlan-tic nnd was preparing to operate off the American coast aroused much Interest In-terest among navy officials here. If, as naval officinls have reason to believe, Gormany recently has developed devel-oped submarines of a thousand tons' displacement or more, a trans-Atlantic voyage could be made without great hardship. Navy officers generally were skeptical skep-tical of the reports, however, although it was recalled that the flow of American-made munitions to the allied powers probably would begin to reach Its full proportions within the next few months, inviting unusual efforts by the Teutonic naval forces |