Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
PRESIDENT SURE
TO Be DELIBERATE
ABOUT THE ARABIC
Continued from First Page.)


lanaw and Nebraskan cases.
notwithstanding the possibility of de-
lay, it has been decided that in a mat
ter OF such gravity and Importance the
antilles of diplomatic intercourse, az
well as sense of exact justice, require
that the German government be given
full opportunity to present it's side of
the case before the action to be taken
by the United States is determined
upon.
Inconsistencies in Statements.
Some officials thought there were in
constituencies in the STATEMENTS of some
of the survivors as to what actually
took place.
Ihey also noted the action of British
news censors in suppressing press dis
patches dealing with details of the
tragedy as an indication that there
might be some condition surrounding
the sinking of the Arabic which might
materially qualify first judgment passed
upon the act of the German submarine
commander
At any rate, official dispatches yester-
day referred only to the casualty list
and threw no light on the very features
of the tragedy on which the State De-
partment seeks information. Consid-
otih5 tHc department instruction
Friday to the vice consul at Queens
town, to secure affdavits from all of
the American passengers and, if possi-
BILE, from the officers of the Arabic
some disappointment was expressed
that so far the only such affidavit had
statement from leila Covington of New
York, which was not complete
1t was announced at the State De-
partment that it would be necessary
tn I,r &c, l. ;4I, L
not be reasonably expected before to-
morrow or Tuesday.
The Covingtcn Affidavit.
leila Covington of New York, an
American, was one of the passengers
He said in his affidavit he had come on
deck from breakfast and was looking
at the steamship Dunsley, which had
been torpedoed and was sinking. A
dispatch to the State Department quot
ed Mr.. Covington as follows:
Some one said, Here it comes now
looked and saw a torpedo coming,
about 800 yards away. 1t struck the
Arabic on the starboard side, about
900 feet from the stern, and three feet
below the water line"
Mr. Covington said the captain of the
ship Immediately ordered every one to
the boats and that perfect order pre-
loaded and lowered, which took only a
short time.
The boats drifted, Mr.. Covington de-
clared, for four hours and half before
calls for aid, which had been flashed
before the Arabic sank, presumably by
the Arabic, in behalf of the sinking
Dunsley.
Torpedoed Without Warning.
Notwithstanding the absence of Off
cial reports, it seems to be established
by the statements of passengers that
the vessel was torpedoed without
warning, point upon which great
stress is laid, because the United States
government has insisted in its notes to
Germany on submarine warfare that
the safety of the seas and the freedom
of the seas requires that warning shall
be given before attack. 1t was even
asserted yesterday that irrespective of
whether Americans were killed on or
drowned from the Arabic, Germany
has violated the warning of the United
States if her submarine sank the Ara
bic without notice.
One point that excited much interest
Yesterday, especially in view of the
Censorship which was suddenly clamp
ed down on news dispatches yesterday
by the British government, is whether
or not the Arabic tried to ram the sub
marine, or whether a change of the
liners course to assist the already
sinking British steamship Dunsley
nearby was misinterpreted by the sub
marine commander as hostile APP
proach. The theory, however, that the
Arabic may have attempted to ram the
submarine was secuted by naval Of
ficers of high rank, who said that the
prevailing impression that a large pas
senger vessel can ram a submarine Is
erroneous. The small underseas boats
can vancouver so quickly, they explain
| ed, as to be able to torpedo large yes
sells without difficulty. Naval officers
| thought that no vessel of large ton
mage would ever attempt. especially
with passengers aboard, to take such
"a risk.