New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-06
Suspend Judgment Wait
ING Full Information,
Says "WOrld."
TIMES" DEMANDS
FULL DISAVOWAL
If She Mounted Gun We Have
Nothing to Say" Is "Her-
AIDS" Comment.

Last Wednesday Ambassador Won
BernstorF gave the American govern
ment solemn assurance that Atlantic
liners making no effort 20 escape and
Offering 40 resistance would not be tor
pedoed BIZ German submarines without
warning or without providing for the
safety Of non-combatants.
Yesterday the steamship Hesperian'
bound from Liverpool TO Montreal vas
tho victim OF an explosion from with
out. the assumption being that she was
attacked by a German submarine.
No evidence yet at hand precludes
the possibility that the Hesperian was
struck by floating mine in the dark
ness instead OF by a torpedo. Untu
this question is settled authorltatvely
for our government by its own agents
there must be grave anxiety in Wash
inqton. For II German submarine did
in fact attack the Hesperian without
warning a very serious situation VII!
have been created in the relations OF
Germany with this country.
The Hesperian carried no ammuni-
ton: she was westward bound. She
had ono Al inch gun aft for protection,
latioas would permit her 10 carry from
an American port without forfeiture Of
her status as a merchantmen. TINS
fact might, however. give rise to dis
mute as 20 whether she was non-re-
sistant within the meaning Of the Bern
storff note, if il did not even lead 10
CHASING her as a "warship."
1t is necessary TO suspend Judgment
and await full information.
The Herald.
II would seem that the torpedoing Of
the Hesperian. Of the Allan steamship
Line. leaves the German Ambassador
where he must do one of three things
disavow the government which he rep
resents. show that the Hcspcrlan tor
Dedoed herself or prove that she was a
war transport. His word that no more
"liners" would be tOrpedoed without
warning and measures taken for safety
of passengers and crew unless they
tried 10 escape or resisted lies on the
desk of the Secretary Of State at Wash
ington Was the Hesperlan warned" ?
The hope that she was is none the less
sincere because built on uncertain
ground If she was truly transport,
then we will have little TO say. II she
mounted a finch gun aft we will have
nothing TO say.
But IL brings home 10 the President
and every citizen the great question Of
preparedness. This country is not TO
have any sense Of security until this
war is over II il have security when
/ il is over il will only be because in the
/ interim it has placed the. army and
navy in a state of readiness. The
necessity for preparedness increases
each day.
The Times.
The attempt made on Saturday even
ing by a German submarine 20 destroy
without warning the Allan liner Hes
periGn, having Americans on board, will
be cause Of grave concern at Wash
/ ington and throughout the United
/ States.
Nor is it as yet evident that this
view is subject TO material modification
because Of the fact that the HeSperian,
as reported by our consul at Queens
town, carried a gun mounted in the
/ stern and said to have been quite I'M
concealed. Nor did the Hes
perian offer any resistance. and Ambas-
sador Won Bernstorff's instructions con-
+ tanned the express assurance that
liners which did not try 70 escape or
/ offer resistance" would not be sunk II
/ is most fortunate that no lives we're
/ lost, but the gravity Of the incident re-
/ mains. We do not want to feel either
that Germany is untrue to her promise
/ or that her government is unable TO
/ control its armed forces at sea. A full
/ disavowal is to be expected from Ber-
/ lin.
The Press.
In the face of the positive and writ
ten assurance which the German Am
/ bassador conveyed to the Washington
government that German submarines
would torpedo no more liners without
warning and opportunity to insure the
/ safety of their companies, the liner
Hesperian, of the Allan Line, was tor
/ pedoed Saturday night
The situation presented in the rela-
! tions of the United States and Ger
many, becomes by reason of this amaz-
/ ing act supremely critical once more.