Torpedo zum Opfer fiel, und nun ist die »Vaterland« gefolgt. »Präsident Lincoln« war eines der vier Schiffe, denen die Räuber den ursprünglichen Namen belassen hatten: die andern drei sind der »George Washington«, der »Präsident Grant« und die »Pennsylvania«. Die »Vaterland« dagegen wurde in »Leviathan« umgetauft, die »Kronprinzessin Cecilie« in »Mont Vernon«, der »Kaiser Wilhelm II.« in »Agamemnon« und der »Amerika« in »America«.] HOW THE “VATERLAND” WAS MADE INTO THE “LEVIATHAN” On the Declaration of War, April 6, 1917, the American robbers seized the steamer _Vaterland_ along with others of the German merchant fleet that was interned in the United States. The crew and most all the ship’s equipment have been taken off. However, they found the machinery unfit for use and it took them months to repair it and get the ship in a seaworthy condition. The big ship was never built to carry troops and ammunition, and to make it fit for such uses the thieves tore out all of our beautiful art and all of the fine woodwork, regardless of all feeling. Twenty freight cars full of wood and furnishings were taken from the ship and loaded in Hoboken to be burned. Only one great painting was accounted for. This was located above C deck at No. 1 stairway, and it now hangs in the Hotel —— in New York. They hope to accommodate 12,000 or 15,000 troops. This they will never be able to do, not even half that amount. On the sixteen stolen ships there was only room for 28,000 men and 5,500 officers, so the Americans will have to change their hopes. The stolen German fleet has been greatly reduced, for surely of the forty troopships that have been sunk there must have been some of ours amongst them. Nevertheless, we know through American sources that the _President Lincoln_ fell to the mercy of a German torpedo on May 31st. The _President Lincoln_ was one of the four sister ships seized by the robbers. The other three were the _George Washington_, _President Grant_, and the _Pennsylvania_. Some names have been changed to the following: The _Vaterland_ to the _Leviathan_, the _Kronprinzessin Cecilie_ to the _Mount Vernon_, the _Kaiser Wilhelm II_ to the _Agamemnon_ and the _Amerika_ to the _America_. The _Vaterland_ lay at Hoboken with her German complement of officers and men intact and protected by the splendid neutrality of the American Government. To the date of the declaration of war, April 6, 1917 (Good Friday, 1.13 P. M.), the huge ship aided the German Red Cross by a series of social entertainments on board given under the auspices of ship’s officers. A great number of prominent people attended these fetes. [Illustration: UPPER—ENGINE OPERATION BOARD. CENTER—B DECK PROMENADE. LOWER—ALONGSIDE PIER 4.] [Illustration: UPPER LEFT—LOOKING AFT FROM THE BRIDGE. UPPER RIGHT—PARAVANE. LOWER LEFT—THE STEM ANCHOR.