Evening star., 1915-09-08
ONE j. s. CITIZEN
LOST ON KE'2;PER|AN .
WHEN BLOWN UP.
American, NanIed Wolff, Born
of Dutch F'arentage in
New Jersey. =
SIGNED FROM NEWARK
AS AN ABLE SEAMAN
Berlin Officials Feel Sure Canadian
Liner Was Not Sunk by Tor
pedo, as Described.
U-BOAT ORDERS ARE POSITIVE
Must Not Sink Ship Unless in Dan
ger Until After Warning Given.
London Hints Won Tir-
pitt Coup. q

QUEENSTOWN, September
Is, AZ p.m-It has been estab-
lished that an American named
Wolff was lost on the Hesperian.
Wolff signed as an able seaman
Of the Hesperians crew. He
came from Newark, n. J., and
was of Dutch parentage.
There is absolutely no doubt
that a gun was mounted on the
Hesperian. 1t is understood the
gun was visible to all who cared
to look at it, no secret being made
of its presence.
United States Consul Hears Report.
LONDON, September s, 11:27 AIM
Wesley Frost, American consul ut
Queenstown, informed the American
embassy here today that he received
an unconfifmed report that one of the
missing sailors of the Hesperian was
an American citizen. Thus far Mr..
Frost was unable to verify the report.
Lieut. Lewis B. Mcbride. naval at
'tache of the American embassy, is eX-
pected to return to London today from
Queenstown, whittier he went to col
lect information concerning the sink
ing of the Hesperian. He has for
5warded no report to Ambassador Page.
who, therefore, has transmitted moth
ing to the State Department at Wash
ington concerning the Hesperian's
armament except Mr.. Frosts statement
that the vessel mounted 4.7-irch gun
aStern.
American. consul at Queenstown has
(received information that man named
Wolff, aged twenty-one. and born in
New Jersey, was lost in the sinking
of the Hesperian.
See Won Tirpitz Coup.
A dispatch to the Daily Telegraph
from Rotterdam says:
1T is freely rumored in Berlin that
| the sinking of the Allan line steamer
lHesperian was deliberately designed by
the party of Admiral Won Tirpitz. the
| German minister of marine, to bring
to a climax the differences between
Won TirpitZ and DR.. Won Bethmann-
| Hollweg, the imperial chancellor, over
the last note to President Wilson con-
cerning the use of submarine boats
Not, Torpedoed, Says Berlin.
BERLIN, September s, via London,
| ?. p.m.-Persons in a position to speak
with authority assert positively the
conviction that the steamship Hes
perian was not torpedoed by a Ger
| man submarine; at least, under the
conditions thus far described.
The assumption that the Hesperian
was sunk by German submarine is
met with ever-increasing doubt in Off
cial circles. Although authorized quot
ed comment is withheld for the time,
the positiveness of the opinions eX-
pressed informally by individuals who
may be assumed to have authoritative
information is noteworthy.
In these quarters it is believed the Hes
perian must have struck a mine, or pos
sibly was destroyed by some agency from
, within that 1t may be regarded
tain she was not torpedoed by German
submarine under the conditions set forth
in pres dispatches and in accounts given
| by passengers.
These persons point out that such de-
tails given in press reports az the shock
of the impact, the column of water thrown
up and the flying fragments of metal may
be tdapted quite as wei. to the eheory that
the Hesperian struck a mine as to the as
sumption that she was torpedoed More
over it is said, there is not a single
positive INDICATION that a submarine was
concerned.
The degree of assurance with which
, this theory is advanced seems to be based
On Knowledge of additional instructions
issued TO submarine commanders since
the Arabic was sunk. Neither diplomatic
nor naval officials, however, will give any
Information this subject.