Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-22
GERARD WILL ASK
FOR EXPLANATION
FROM GERMANY
Instructed to Get Facts as
to Destruction of White
Star Liner.
STILL MANY POINTS THAT
MUST BE CLEARED AWAY
May Be Some Conditions Which
Would Qualify First
Judgment.
CENSOR SURPRISES SDIspATCHEs
British Government Says Arabic Was
Not Sailing Under
Convoy.
CENSOR SURPRISES DIsPATCHE
British Government Says Arabic Was
Not Sailing Under
Convoy.

Convoy.
WASHINGTON, August 21.-Reason-
able doubt as to conditions surrounding
the sinking Of the White Star liner
Arabic has determined the Washington
government to proceed with delibera-
| tion in It's purpose TO fix responsibility
for the two American lives reported
lost and the jeopardizing Of score of
others. Therefore, Germany will be
given an opportunity 70 explain this
last sea tragedy. and. II possible. to
show whether the conditions justified
the German submarine commander in
sinking the liner In apparent disregard
OF the solemn protest of the United
States government against the destruc-
tion OF merchant vessels bearing Amer
lean -passengers without proper warn
Ing and opportunity for succor
President Wilson ard Secretary Lam
sing conferred to-day on the Arabic
situation with the text of the two mes.
| snges from Ambassador Page at London
before them. giving the details of the
destruction of the ship as far as they
nave been gathered from American
survivors. The ambassador and con-
instructed TO supplement their reports
with all available information bearing
upon the physical facts of the tragedy.
The additional afidavits will be studied
| carefully. but in the meantime the Ger
man explanation will be sought.
WILL DE INSTRUCTED
| To ASK EXPLANATION
Ambassador Gerard at Berlin will be
n 70
ernment for an explanation Of the sink
! ing or at least for a statement of tho
, facts. SO far as they have been re-
ported to the admiralty BY the COM
mander OF the submarine. That this
might take fortnight is realized from
the fact that the German admiralty
mas heretofore declared that it could
communicate with its submarines on
inc ocean lanes only with difficulty.
and that often il was necessary to
await their return TO home ports
Some officials thought there were in
consistencies in the statements of some
OF the survivors as to what actually
| took place. They also noted the action
OF British news censors in suppressIpe
press dispatches dealing with details
OF the tragedy as an indication that
'here might be some condition sur
rounding the disaster which might ma
tertally qualify first Judgment.
AT any rate, official dispatches to-
DAY referred only TO the casualty list,
and threw no ligh; on those features
OF the tragedy on which the State De-
partment seeks information.
ofhcial adv!ces so far received to-
day tell nothing except that only two
Americans are missing. They are Mrs.
Josephine Bruguiere. Of New York and
Dr. Edmund f. Woods. OF GAINESVILLE.
wis.
The Secretary of State denied early
to-nisht that he had received n long
caoie from Ambassador Gerard con-
cernins the Arabic. The Ambassador
at Berlin 1t was stated. has not vet
oeen asked to make report or take
up tho question with Germany.
ADMINISTRATION SURE
OF BUT VERY FEW FACTS
The administration Is now sure OF
nu' rev racts and the position of this
government is yet to be shaped.
There was no let-up in the tension
In official circles. This was shown bv
the long conference this afternoon ~.
tween President Wilson and Secretary
''N'Si NolIEi ilS TO the
White House what information tho
state Department has in Its posses
sion. 1t was after this conference
that 1t became known the discrepancies
In the reports Of the Arabic's undoine
have added to the perplexities of tho
situation.
One of these discrepancies is said
to be shown by the statement in the
affidavit Of Zellah Covington. an Amer
lean survivor, that the Arabic had
changed her course when the sub
marine struck the vessel This might
indicate that the Arabic was proceed
Ing to the relief OF the steamer Duns
| ley. which had been torpedoed in the
vicinity by a German submarine onlv
few minutes previously
Il noticed the Arabic had changed
her course and the torpedo would either
miss or strike we'll astern." snys the
Covington afidavIt, which was cabled
to the State Department from Queens.
town last night.
This Is confusing when compared
! with the declaration of Captain Finch
The ships commander said he learned
/ OF the presence of submarine only
, when he saw the torpedo.
The conflict indirectly raised by
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