Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-07-01
ACTION ON
SINKING OF SHIP
[Continued from First Page.l

additional details. He said that as
the Armenian carried no passengers
presumably all Americans who perish
ed were members of the crew.
1t was pointed out here, however
that Americans seeking cheap trans
portation frequently travel upon such
ships as passengers, although they are
signed on the ships roll as members
OF the crew.
The department expected further
dispatches from Mr.. Page and Consul
Armstrong giving reports of survivors
to show whether the ship was duly
warned by the German submarine
commander and those aboard her
given an opportunity to escape.
Officials of the steamship company
stated that the Armenian was not un-
der charter to the British admiralty,
but was sailing merely as a merchant
man carrying cntraband.
The loss of American lives in the
destruction of the Armenian is a mat
ter OF grave concern to the United
States Government, which has been in
sisting that human life should not be
Jeopardized through indiScriminate at
tack and destruction of merchantmen
without proper warning and the exer-
else of the right of visit and search.
Ambassador Page, at London. was
at once asked by the State Department
to make a thorough investigation and
to forward complete details both as to
the destruction of the Armenian and
as TO the character of the charter un-
der which the steamship was pro-
ceeding to England with a cargo of
horses and mules for use by the armies
of the Allies.
Until detailed information is avail
able, Secretary Lansing who returned
to-day from Amherst was not pre-
pared to indicate the course of the
State Department. President Wilson,
who is at Cornish. N. H., has been ad-
vised of the situa ton.
Did She Try to Escape?
In many quarters the sinking of the
vessel was regarded as likely to add
further complications to the corre-
spo Srence pending between Germany
and the United States over the ques-
ton of submarine warfare. Officials
attached much importance to the ac-
tion OF the Armenian at the time she
was encountered by the German SUBJ
marine. If the vessel attempting to
escape, failed to heed a warning shot
from the submarine not only the ves-
sci but the crew would be subject to
the risks of a subsequent attack.
q. S. Position
The position of the United States is
that citizens engaged in the carrying
OF contraband who are on board ships
that resist capture or attempt to run a
blockade are not entitled to the pro-
lection of the American Government.
One cablegram to the department
spoke of a second shot having been
fired at the wireless house of the Ar
menian which gave rise to the impress
sion that the first shot may have been
fired in warning. On the other hand
II the information which is expected
to be received through American con-
sular officers who will talk with the
survivors, proves TINT the Armenian
made no effort to resist capture and
was torpedoed without warning and
without removing the members of the
crew to place of safety, officials
thought the case would be almost
parallel with that of the Lusitania.
The United States has contended for
the principle that an unarmed and un-
resisting ship must not be destroyed
until passengers and crew have been
removed to a place of safety as pro-
vided in the Declaration of London
and the general rules of international
law.
The question as to what armament
she had, If any, will be taken up.
There has been, it was said at the
State Department, no explicit rules
concerning the treatment of chartered
vessels in time of war.
Crew Should Have Been Saved
Collectors of American ports have
I1eio VI W pIcNeIl the
of foreign military officers on board
ships transporting horses or mules
from the United States and similarly
clearance has been refused to all Brit
ish vessels which were armed
Officials were inclined to believe
that the chartering of the vessel by
the British Government would not eff
feet vitality the merits of the case be-
cause the character of the ship was
that of peaceful merchantmen when
1t left the shores of the United States
and the crew was therefore entitled
to be removed to a place of safety
before the ship was destroyed.
First Loss Since Lusitania
The case of the Armenian consti-
tutes the first instance since the sink
ing of the Lusitania in which Amer
lean lives have been lost. The expec-
tation here has been that Germany's
reply to the last American note would
make some concessions that would
insure the safety of Americans on the
high seas and especially upon passen-
ger vessels. Comparatively little at
tention has been given to the case of
Americans on board belligerent ships
which primarily carried freight and
contraband.