Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1915-07-01

WASHINGTON, June 30.-The Do
minion freight liner Armenian, flying
the British flag and carrying mules
from Newport News, Va, to England,
was torpedoed and sunk on Monday
night by the German submarine U-38
off Cornwall, England, and nearly a
score of American muleteers were re-
ported lost, according to messages re-
ceived by the state department from
Bristol.
Twenty-nine men in all were lost
and 10 injured.
The news created a sensation in Of
ficial quarters, as it was the first case
Of loss Of American lives since the
sinking Of the Lusitania. The gravity
of the incident, however, and the ac-
tion Of the Washington government,
depends entirely on whether the Ar
menian was chartered by the British
government and was in fact, a trans
port of war aboard which Americans
would sail at their own risk, or wheth-
er she was an unarmed merchantmen.
In the latter case, even though carry
ing contraband, the ship should have
been subject to search and those
ETY. before the destruction of the YES
sci was attempted.
In the absence of official informa-
tion on these points officials declined
to say what effect the sinking of the
Armenian would have on pending ne
gotiations between the United States
and Germany.
Immediate inquiry was directed,
however, to Ambassador Page at Lon
don, to obtain more details, and when
Secretary Lansing returns tomorrow,
Ambassador Gerard will be instructed
to inquire of the German admiralty as
to it's report.
From messages received it appears
that in addition to the torpedo, at
least one shot was fired from dis
appearing rifle. The consul's report
said the wireless house was taken by
second shot," It was not made clear
whether the Armenian was first or
dered to halt and resisted capture.
requiring a second shot, or whether
the submarine attacked without warn
ing. The fact that the number of thej
submarine was given, indicated that
she had come to the surface to make
the attack.
Mules are contraband of war, ac-I
cording to all the lists of the bellig-
erents, SO there can be no doubt asI
to the contraband character of the
Armenian's cargo. Officials will
make an effort to learn, however,
whether the vessel was armed andI
if she was a part of the British naval
force before the opinion of the statel
department on the case will be dis
closed.
All the dispatches received were
promptly telegraphed to President Will
son, at Cornish, N. H. and Secretary
Lansing at Amherst, Mass, and it |
was considered probable that they
would communicate with each other
while in New England.
The message from Consul Arm
strong did not show clearly just how
many Americans were lost In his
list of Americans missing he named
20 muleteers-eight whites and u
negroes-who were unaccounted for,
but later kilograms spoke of DR.. ].
S. Viso a Porto Rican, and three
negroes as having been picked up by
a submarine and other survivors by
Belgian trawler and transferred to
two British destroyers which brought
them into Bristol.
The list of missing as finally made
up tonight from Consul Armstrong's
reports, follows:
E. WILLIAMSON, st. Louis.
J. M. MONROE, New Orleans.
B. M. Cranberry, Montgomery, Ala
S. R. SUTTON, Cartersville, Va.
HARRY STONE New York City.
BROWN, (cattle ship car
penter), Harrisburg, Pa.
DIR. S. ]. VISO, Porto Rico.
R H. BROOKS, or WEST, (chief
foreman of muleteers); London (Natur
allied American.)
Henry Leroy, Jackson and Speed
Richmond, Va; Wall, Foley and Lit
tie, Newport News, Va; King, Small.
Rickert and Cakes. Norfolk, Va:
Smith. Portsmouth, Va,
PRESIDENT WILL WAIT.
CORNISH, N. H., June 30.-Presi.
CONTINUED on page twelve.) J.