New Britain herald., 1915-08-20
SINKING OF ARABIC
SHOCkSWASHING7ON
President Wilson Startled By
News Of Ships Disaster

Washington, Aug. 20.-News Q
the torpedoing Of the British steame
Arabic, of the White Star line, witt
Americans on board, came as shocl
to officials Of the United States gov
eminent, who had hoped, since tn
dispatch of the last American note
there would be no further aggrava
ton of an already tense situation be-
tween the United States and Ger
many.
Official information was meagre
and it was only through press dis
patches that 1t was heard here tina
the vessel was torpedoed without
= warming While it was recognized
that a canvass of the survivors might
reveal that no American lives were
lost, the torpedoing, without warn
ing, of vessel carrying Americans
has in itself been pronounced py the
United States government as vlo-
lation it's rights which, II rePeateo'
would be regarded as deliberately
unfriendly.''
Secretary Larsing's Statement
In the last note to Germany, whlcn
was generally accepted as the Mai
word on the principles of the ques-
ton from the United States, secre-
tary Lansing used the following ian.
guage in referring to violations VI
American rights in the war zone,
Friendship itself prompts 1t (the
United States government TO say ~
the Imperial government that repe-
tition by the commanders of German
naval vessels of acts in contraven-
ton of those rights must be regarded
by the government of the United
States, when they effect American cit
liens, as deliberately unfriendly.
Will Await Details.
What the course of the United
States would be no official would pre-
dict because of the absence of detail
ed information. 1t must be estao-
lished authoritatively whether any
warning was given and whether tho
vessel attempted to escape. II no
American lives were lost, 1t was
thought in most quarters tonight that
drastic steps were improbable, pu~
in the event it is found Americans
were drowned, a rupture in diplomat
sic relations was everywhere discussed
as likely.
.5 The attack on the Arabic came
lin that subma rine commanders
would persist in torpedoing ships
without warning and in the face also
of constant reiterations in German
Quarters here that in the future pas
senger vessels would be given due
warming The incident, therefore, es-
pecially since the ship was bound for
the United States and had no contra
band. In some quarters there was q
'dispositio to think the German sub
marine commander might have ex-
ceeded his orders Cr made a mistake.
:" German Viewpoint awaited.
The general Immunity which pas
senger liners of belligerent flags, car
rying Americans, seemed to have en-
joyed in the last few weeks had de-
yeloped a feeling of confidence that
the German government would avoid
any incident that might intensity feel
Ing in the United States und bring the
relations of the two countries nearer
sthe breaking point. For this reason.
along with information as to exactly
what occurred when the Arab was
attacked, the viewpoint OF the Ger
man foreign Office is eagerly awaited.
News StartIes Wilson.
President Wilson was startled by
the news. He spent the entire after
noon and evening trying to get de-
tailed information. Though obviously
worried, he took the position that
judgment should be withheld until
official details were received
The president had just finished q
conference with Attorney General
Gregory and was just preparing to go
golfing when word OF the sinking of
the steamer reached him. He i'm
mediately abandoned his plans and
gave orders that all information.
official and unofficial be forwarded to
him as quickly as possible. A cable
gram came from Vice Consul Thomp-
son at Queenstown telling of the sink
ing of the steamer and iater the vice
consul reported the names Of sixteen
American survivors. White House
secretaries remained on duty during
the evening and as press dispatches
giving details were received they were
communicated to the president, who
sent out several times for late edi-
tons of newspapers.
No Legal Claim.
The decision of the United States
t. refuse all claims for life or prop
erty lost aboard the ships torpedoed
with due warning was made clear yes
ferday when 1t became known that a
Claim in the case of Jonn Wall. a
muleteer, killed when the Armenian
was sunk. would not be taken up by
the state department. The depart
ment holds that there can be no legal
claim in cases like the Armenian
" here ample warning was given and
the ship refused to obey. even when
subjected to she'll fire.
MAY DISCUSS WAR.
Paris Aug. 20, 1915 a. m.-Pubiie