South American ambassadors and a former prime minister of China. UK guests included the Earl of Coventry, Earl of Dundonald, Marquis of Douglas and Clydesdale, Lord Aberconway, Sir Edward Elgar, Admiral Sir Herbert Purey-Cust, Admiral Sir Archibald Douglas and Major General Sir Douglas Hadden. After the UK entered the First World War, Arlanza remained in civilian service until early in 1915. On 16 August 1914 she was of the coast of Brazil with more than 1,000 people aboard when the German auxiliary cruiser intercepted her with the order "Stop or I will open fire". Next the German ship ordered her to dismantle her radio aerials and throw them overboard. Arlanza was then asked how many women and children she had aboard. When she replied "335 women, 97 children", the German ship ordered her to proceed. HMS Arlanza In April 1915 the Admiralty requisitioned Arlanza and her "A-series" sisters , Andes and for conversion into armed merchant cruisers. Arlanza was armed with six guns, and commissioned at Birkenhead on 24 April 1915 into the 10th Cruiser Squadron. Andes and Alcantara were also commissioned into the 10th Cruiser Squadron, which joined the Northern Patrol that was part of the First World War Allied naval blockade of the Central Powers. The Squadron patrolled about of the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Arctic Ocean, to prevent German access to or from the North Atlantic. Late in 1915 Arlanza was sent to Arkhangelsk with a £500,000 consignment of platinum bullion. On her return voyage she was to bring a Russian delegation to Britain for a conference with the UK and France. On 21 October she left the Russian port, preceded by minesweeping naval trawlers and followed by a convoy of merchant ships. Once she was clear of the part of the White Sea thought to be at risk of mines, the trawlers left her. An hour later a mine holed her near her forward hold. Arlanzas bow dipped lower in the water, but the bulkhead doors between her watertight compartments were closed and prevented her from sinking. Some of her lifeboats were launched and the Russian delegation was taken off. An accident when lowering one of the lifeboats dropped a number of Russian representatives and Royal Navy sailors into the icy water, but all were rescued. One of the trawlers returned to assist but struck one of Arlanzas propellers, which had been raised by the