She sailed both transatlantic and Far East mail routes until the outbreak of World War I, when she was interned in the neutral port of Cebu in the Philippines. Seized by the U. Navy service from to As an Army transport after that, she continued to return troops and repatriated the remains of Americans killed overseas in the war. In July she was a last-minute substitute to carry a large portion of the United States team to the Summer Olympics in Antwerp.
From the perspective of the Olympic team, the trip was disastrous and a majority of the team members published a list of grievances and demands of the American Olympic Committee in an action known today as the Mutiny of the Matoika.
After that company's financial troubles resulted in her seizure, Princess Matoika was assigned to the newly formed United States Lines and resumed passenger service. President , Chester A. When changes in U. On her maiden voyage to Palestine she reportedly became the first ocean liner to fly the Zionist flag at sea and the first ocean liner ever to have female officers. Financial difficulties for American Palestine ended the service after three roundtrips, and the liner was sold to the Los Angeles Steamship Company for Los AngelesβHonolulu service.
Following three years of carrying tourists and freight, the liner burned in Honolulu Harbor in She was deemed too expensive to repair and was eventually scrapped in Japan in The ship was feet m long and featured twin screws powered by two quadruple expansion steam engines that generated 9, horsepower 6, kW. The liner also featured bilge keels that helped stabilize her ride.
Kiautschou ' s first-class staterooms were described as "light and large" and located in the center of the ship. She had two large promenade decks , a music room, and a library. Her smoking room was at the rear of the upper promenade deck, and her large dining room featured a balcony where the ship's orchestra could serenade diners. Kiautschou sailed on the HamburgβFar East route until May North German Lloyd renamed the newly acquired ship Princess Alice , [ 2 ] [ 6 ] though the German spelling Prinzess Alice was widely used in contemporary press coverage and, often, by the Lloyd themselves.
