Connecticut western news., 1915-09-09
TOR?ED0ES SRIP; FAILS ID WARN
German SuhmaTinG Puts TOO In Peril Aboard Big Liner.
KOTEFROM VOW BEnNSTORFF

Ambassador Had Just Previously Noti-
 fled the American Government That
 Berlin Had Accepted Washinston's
 Arabic and Lusitania Contentious
 About Giving Warning.
 Without warning a German subma- rine torpedoed the Allan line steam ship Hesper'ian With TOO passengers and crew on board, just at dusk as the vessel was steaming west of the south coast of Ireland. The explosion tore q great hole in the steamships hull for ward, but she remained afoat until next day. At last accounts twenty persons were reported lost.
 Twenty persons were injured. Three of the Hesperian's lifeboats were upset when they were launched. Captain w. s. Main and twenty men of the crew remained on board the steamship pend ing the arrival of admiralty rugs to tow her to Queenstown. but she sank a few hours later.
 The rescued passengers and men of the crew were taken to Queenstown.
 Among the persons on board the Hesperian when she was attacked were many wounded Canadian soldiers returning to their homes.
 Near the end of twilight the Hes perian was proceeding at full speed. her commander. Captain w. s. Main. hoping to clear the danger zone before complete darkness.
 The close watch revealed nothing alarming, and it was believed that the vessel was safe, when the noise and shock of the explosion of the torpedo threw all on board the vessel into panic.
 The Hesperian's bow swung around from the force of the shock and for a time it was feared that she would sink immediately.
 Captain Main first gave orders for the launching of the lifeboats and for the officers and crew to take their sta. tions so that all the passengers might be saved.
 A wireless call for help was sent out and was heard by number of vessels near the steamship. These vessels raced at full speed for the Hesperian and found her still aA0at.
 !. H. Brockington, a passenger. said with great positiv eness that absolutely no warning was given before the tor. pedo was fired.
 It was expected that Germany wo1ld disavow the sinking
 Follows Concession Made to U. 6.
 The torpedoing of the Hesperian is causing much comment. for it follows closely the announcement made by Secretary of State Lansing authoriZ- ing the statement that he had been in / formed by the German ambassador that the German government accepts in principle the propositions of the United States with regard to the meth ods of the German submarine opera tions.
 The notice of the German govern ment's action was conveyed to Mir. Lansing by Count von Bernstorff oral ly. The latter wrote this:
 My Dear Secretary-Wit reference to our conversation 1 inform you that my in structions concerning our answer to your last LQsitania note contain the following passage:
 Liners will not be sunk by our Subma- rines without warning and without safety of the lives of noncombatants, provided that the liners do not try to escape or offer resistance"
 Although know you do not wish to dis cuss the Lusitania question till the Ara bic incident has been definitely and satis- factorily settled I desire to inform you of the above because this policy of my gov ernment was decided on before the Ara bic incident occurred.
 Principles Recognized, Thinks Lansing
 Commenting on the foregoing state ment, Secretary of State Lansing would only say that in view of it's clearness it seemed needless to make any comment in regard to it other than to say that it appeared to be "a recognition of the fundamental prnci- pies for which we have contenGed."
 There is good reason to believe that the German submarine which sank the White Star liner Arabic without warn ing has herself been lost. Information to this effect, it is understood. has reached Washington through d reliable channel. The assumption is that the submarine was destroyed by q British war vessel.