Omaha daily bee., 1915-07-02
MULE CRAFT SUNK
ACCORDING TO The
LAWS OF NATIONS
Sinking of Armenian Justified by
Reported Attempt of Ship to
Escape and Its Being
British Transport,
SUCH IS WASHINGTON VIEW
If Press Dispatches Officially Con-
firmed it is Unlikely Com.
plant Made to Kaiser,
LITTLE TENSION OVER INCIDENT

WASHINGTON, July 1.-Official
information regarding the sinking OF
the British steamer Armenian with
the loss of number of American
lives was lacking tonight, and until
all details are available Secretary
Lansing stated that the position of
the American government could not
be determined
From news dispatches. however, and
closer reading of official reports of yes
terday officials were inclined to the view
that inasmuch as the Armenian appar-
entity refused to submit to the warning
command Of the German submarine TO
halt and attempted - escape, according
to international law, the sinking of the
vessel was justified. even though non
combatants were on board.
There was little tension over the incl
dent in official quarters here after It be-
came known that the Armenian ahd
sought to evade capture.
No Cause of Complaint.
It was admitted that IL official reports
bore out the press dispatches there was
no likelihood that any new cause of COM
plant would be added to the issues pend
ing between the United States and Ger
many.
One or two officials suggested that in
asmuch as Germany had in effect given
warning that enemy ships would be tor
pedoed without warning, a merchantmen
carrying contraband might be justified
in attempting to escape, since to halt
would mean certain destruction, with no
assurances of an opportunity for the
crew to escape. 1t was pointed out that
the last American note to Germany on
the Lusitania and Falaba cases said:
Nothing but actual forcible resistance
or continued efforts to escape by flight
when ordered to stop for purpose Of visit
on the part OF the merchantmen ever
has been held to forfeit the lives OF its
passengers and crew"
These officials were inclined 70 argue
that the German submarine might not
order vessels to stop merely for the pur-
pose of visit" Others, however, de-
clared that the rules of warfare do not
require the commander of warship to
state his purpose when directing a mer-
chantman to halt.
In Admiralty Business.
The only fact of importance received
officially by the State department came
in a report from Ambassador Page, who
said the British admiralty had informed
him that the Armenian was engaged in
admiralty business.
Officials at the department declared
the question of whether a ship so en-
gagged should be treated by hostile ves-
sells as a public ship of war or a de-
fenseless merchantmen was "a close
question of international law, and an
opinion could not be given until the ex-
tent of the belligerent governments con-
troll over the ship and crew was defi-
nitely known.
When it was suggested TO officials that
II the Armenian were a public ship of
war ii could not have sailed from the
United States without violating neutral
ity It was pointed out that there had
been cases before the federal courts in
which this point arose and 1t had been
ruled that the chartering of a vessel by
a foreign consul for his government to
transport munitions of war or supplies
did not constitute violation of federal
statutes.
Treated as ships of War
In the case of vessels which are loaded
to supply belligerent fleet at sea, how
ever, the American government has ruled
that such ships must be treated as ships
of war
The question Of charter and belligerent
control was overshadowed in official
quarters by the press dispatches telling
of the desperate attempts of the Ar
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