West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-07-01

WARRINGTON. ID. c.. June 30.-The
British owned steamship Armenian OF
the Dominion line. registered as Ley
land liner. was torpedoed and sunk
by the German submarine U-3S. 20
miles west OF Treyose Head. Cornwall.
England. on Monday night and a num-
Der OF Americans were lost
The information came in dispatches
today to the State department. The
official count says that 20 men were
lost and 10 injured. and gives list of
American citizens. white and colored,
who were crossing with the ship.
The official State department state
ment is as follows
This department has received ca
Diagrams from the American consul at
Birmingham, England, reporting that
the Dominion line steamship Armen-
ian from Newport News was torpedoed
and sunk at s p. m. June %. 20 miles
west by north of Trevos Head. Corn
wall by German submarine U-3S. II
is also reported that the Marconi
house was struck by a shot and that
20 men were lost and 10 injured.
The Armenian sailed from Newport
News June II with a cargo OF horses
| consigned to Monmouth, west coast
OF England. for the English army.
The facts In the case as obtained from
Consul Armstrong at Bristol and all
the information obtainable here as to
the character of the vessel was tele-
graphed today TO the president at Cor
| nish, n. III.
State department officials don't re-
| gard the information now at hand as
sufficient on which to express an OPP
inion and especially on which to make
intelligent representations to Ger
many. The department therefore ca
bled this afternoon to Ambassador
Page to send on all the details he
could secure.
| The main point in the case of the
Armenian is whether she Is a natural
member OF the British navy as troop
ship or horse ship. She could be such
either by having been taken over by
| the government itself for that purpose
or by the government itself having
chartered the ship and therefore max
ing ii war ship subject to attack or
sight by German war vessels.
The highest authorities in the State
| department say that If the facts show
that the Armenian was in fact a Brit
ish transport, Americans had no right
on board, and this government could
not make an issue of this incident
On the other hand il is stated that Il
the Armenian was merely a chartered
ship engaged in lawful commerce, the
declaration of President Wilson Il
Germany will hold her to strict &C
countability for the loss of American
lives, will apply as much in this cas-,
as in any other The State depart
ment is, therefore, anxious to know
at once how the Armenian was ap
preached and how she was destroyed
The official dispatches don't show
whether the Armenian was hailed
whether she was armed, whether sh,
resisted, tried to escape, or whether
she refused to be visited and searched
A knowledge of all these conditions
officials declare, is essential to intel
ligent action by this government.
"hc "'ctnrnapts as To what happeneC
10 the Armenian are conflicting. II
the telegram sent by Consul Arm
strong he states that there was a sec
ond shot; in the official statement Civ
en- out there is no mention of a SECOND
shot. One of the officials venturet
the opinion that If there was a second
shot it probably did not come from
the German submarine.