Arizona republican., 1915-07-02
Dominion Liner, Torpedoed With Loss of American Lives, Was Engaged in Business for Great Brit ain. Saws Page
TRIED TO ESCAPE
 FROM SUBMARINE,
Officials Say Failure to Comply With Warming Renders Situation Less Acute - No Additional Complaint to Germany
ASSOCIATED PRESS DIsPArcuI

WASHINGTON. July .1--officiai information regarding the sinking nf the Armenian with the loss "f Amer i,an lives was lacking tonight Sec- retarv Lansing stated that the posi- lion of the government would not he determined until details are c.ailahle. From new dispatches and a closer reading of the official reports Of yes- terday. officials are inclined to the view that inasmuch as the Armenian apparently refused to submit to the warning of the German submarine to halt. and attempted 10 escape. accord ing to international law, the sinking of the vessel was justified. even though non-combatants were aboard. There was little tension in official quarters after il became known that The Armenian sought to eVade cap ture- The only fact of importance receiNe ed officially at the state de partment came in report from Am hassador Page who said that the British admiralty informed him the Armenian was engaged in admiralty business.
 II was admitted that if official re- faNEAE pore 0At press AAA~bdAAAlfNs AlA'-N is no likelihood any new cause for complaint will be added to the is- mmrs pending between the United States and Germany One or two of ficiaIs suggested that inasmuch as Germany in effect had given warn ing that enemy ships would be tor pedoed without warning, a merchant man carrying contraband might be justified in attempting to escape since to halt means certain destruc- tion. with no assurances that op- portunity would be given the crew to escape. It was pointed out that the last note to Germany in the Lusi- tania and Falaba cases said: Moth ing but actual forcible resistance or continued efforts to escape by flight when ordered tO stop for the purpose of visit on the part of a merchant man has ever been held to forfeit the lives of passengers and crew. Officials were inclined to argue that a German submarine might not or der vessels to stop merely for the purpose of visit. Others declared the rules of warfare did not require the commander of warship to state his purpose when directing a merchant man to halt.
 Even the final editions of today's London Evening papers did not print :he fact that the Armenian was en- gagged in admiralty business. Papers refer to the incident as the Sinking of a Leyland liner and emphasize the Sensation created in America. Page had advised the state depart ment of the correct status of the ship. Joseph Carter. a colored mule teer of Norfolk. and one of those rescued. said that his friends. King Oake. Speed. Small and foreman Sed- den were all drowned. Carter said:
 The submarine chased the ship for two hours and fired about one hundred shells. 9 of them striking the ship I was in a boat with 3S others when it fell into the water and was swimming an hour before l was picked up.
 Twenty eight men were rescued from the water Four members of the crew died in the boat. part of the head of one had been blown away Another lost both legs. One had been blown to pieces by a shell.
 T owe my life to Nuleteer John son. who knocked me down in time to avoid my being hit by shell. Cap tain Trickey was the last man to leave the ship"
 Officials at the department de- clared the question of whether a ship so engaged could be treated by hostile vessels a public ship of war. or a defenseless merchantmen was "a close question of internation al law. and that an opinion could not be given until the extent of the belligerent governments control over
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