Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-07-02
AMERICANS PERISH
+ 0NT0RPED0ED SHIP
Nineteen DROWN WHEN GER
MAN SUBMARINE SINKS
DOMINION STEAMER.
CASE LIKELY TO BE SERIOUS
May Have Far.reaching Effect On
Discussion Now in Progress Be.
tween United States and Ger
many On Submarine Issue.

many On Submarine Issue.
Washington, July 1.-The calm OF
official Washington of the last few
days was broken with the receipt Of
dispatches at the state department an
nouncing that the Dominion freight
liner. Armenian, flying the British flag
and carrying horses from Newport
News, Va, to Avenmouth, England,
had been torpedoed and sunk by Ger.
man submarine U-3S. According to
consul at Bristol, England, where the
survivors have been landed, 10 Ameri-
cans, most, if not all, Of them negroes,
are missing and it is supposed they
have been drowned. In all, 20 men
were lost and 10 injured.
From the messages received, it ap-
pears that in addition to the torpedo,
at least one shot was fired from dis
appearing rifle. The consuls report
said that the wireless house was
taken by a second shot,
Submarine Makes Attack.
Armenian was first ordered to halt
and resisted capture, requiring a Sec
ond shot, or whether the submarine
attacked without warning. The fact
that the number of the submarine
was given indicated that she had come
to the surface to make the attack.
This is the first case of loss of
American lives since the sinking Of
the Lusitania and is attracting wide
attention about the capital. Officials,
however, declined to express any opin-
ion in the case in advance Of the re-
ceipt of complete records from the
! consul. 1t was admitted though that
the case is likely to prove a most SER
ious one and may have far-reach-
ing effect on the discussion now in
progress between the United States
and German governments on the SUBJ
marine issue.
The state department has already
cabled Consul Armstrong for more de-
tails regarding the Armenian. 1t is
particularly desired to know whether
the Armenian was under charter to
the British government
Officials Make Inquiries.
| Officials also want to learn whether
| the Armenian had guns and if she Of
fered resistance to the submarine.
They want to know too, if warning
was given before the attack, and if
the crew had an opportunity to take
refuge in the small boats. The con-
sul's reports thus far are silent on all
these points, AS for the Arnlenian's
cargo Of mules, it is, according to
all the list of the belligerents, contra
band of war.
1t is expected that the Germans
will claim, if it is proven that the Ar
men!an was under charter, that the
vessel was practically an auxiliary
transport of the British government,
| carrying horses and mules for the use
Of the army, and therefore properly
subject to destruction on the high
| seas without notice. Officials here in
Dictated that charter to a government
does not necessarily make vessel
government ship in the true sense Of
the term. and that it is very doubtful
! II the fact of a charter can be &C.
! cepted as full justification in the case
OF the Armenian.
While it is not expected that this
case will arouse the popular indigna-
; ton caused by some other cases of
Americans being victims of German
submarine attacks, it is pointed out
that regardless of public opinion, the
United States is already committed.
The notes which the President has
sent to Germany already cover such
a case as this. The President has
declared that he expects Germany to
: accept the rule that all other nations
accept, and that it can not lawfully
or rightfully place in jeopardy the
lives Of non-combatants of enemy or
neutral citizenship, in the process Of
capturing merchantmen. It is be-
lfeved by many here that the Presi-
dents declarations leave him no
i chance but to make vigorous represen-
tations on this case.