The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1915-07-08
ZER ARMENIAN RACED AWAY
AbEN HAILED BY SUB
'DEfTROYED BY SHELLS
Diplomatic Tension Relieved When
News Comes of Submarines Efforts
to Halt Ship Before. Sinking Her
= Ceptain Trickey Proud of His At
tempt to Outwit Captor.


accurate judgment OF circumstances
under which the British steamer Ar
p menian was destroyed with the loss
of American lives was lacking Thurs
day night and until details are avail
Rbie Secretary Lansing said the posi-
lion of the United States could not
be determined.
From news dispatches however,
and q closer reading of official re-
borts officials were inclined in the
Ciew that as the Armenian apparent
Ply refused to halt at the command of
1the German submarine, according to
international law the sinking of the
vessel was justified, even though non
combatants were on board.
~ There was little tension over the
Incident after 1t became known the
4 Armenian had sought to evade cap
3 ture. 1t was admitted that If official
reports bore out press dispatches
there was no likelihood that any COM
Z plsint would be added to issues be-
tween the United States and Ger
many.
One or two officials suggested that
since Germany had given warning
that enemy ships would be torpedoed
without warning, a merchantmen car
rying contraband might be justified
in attempting to escape.
otHSISr hoWeNST, uSCldTeu TuleS Ol
warfare do not require commander
to state his purpose when directing a
merchantman to halt.
The only fact of importance receiv-
officially by the state department
IS in a report from Ambassador
ge who said the British admiralty
ID infarmed him the Armenian was
engaged in admiralty business" De-
)artment officials declared the ques-
vtion of whether a ship so engaged
should be treated by hostile vessels
as a ship of war or a defensoless mer-
chantmen was "a close question of in
ternational law"
When 1t was suggested to officials
: that IL the Armenian were public
ship of war she could not have sailed
from the United States without vio-
lating neutrality, 1t was pointed out
that the supreme court had ruled
that tho chartering Of vessel by
foreign consul for his government to
transport munitions of war or sup
plies did not constitute a violation
of federal statutes. In case the YES
sci loaded to supply a belligerent
fleet ct sea, however, the United
States has ruled that such ships must
he treated rs ships of war.
Capt. Trickey of the Armenian in
an interview said he surrendered to
the German submarine only when his
ship was afire in three places, her
engines were out of action, and
dozen of the crew had been killed by
shrapnel fire. Most of the members
rev who perished, Capt.
bid, were Americans.
bmarine, as u signal for us
said Capt. Trickey, ''first
le of shots across our bows
tere four miles Off. i put
him and ran for 1t.
NSmI Irine then began to
in earnest, the shrapnel
all around us, killing several
rev and knocking Others
! soon realized that the
gaining on us, but did not
surrender without u strug-
" steering gear was soon
kCS<,s,;Ssr srof~-ecmmission.
feJ/ ,ato the engine room
csrried the Marconi
>StiH another cut down
and disabled the stokers.
time the ship was on fire
Places and decided to sur
We had resisted the enemy
hour. and twelve or thirteen
dead on the deck.
'The>~sHbmarine commander then
iced me to clear ship and at seven
nutes past eight the Armenian
int down, shattered by two torpe-
bes.
II must say that the submarine
hmander showed us every fairness
ter we had given up, picking up
,any OF the crew who, because of n
damaged boat, had fallen into the
water.
Most of the crew who Ierished
were Americans"
One of the Armenian's officers said
the German submarine which sank
he freighter was of the latest type,
big aud speedy.
The submarine came towards us
It a great rate" he said. "As she
pew near we could made out some
/of the GREW on deck. The captain
was dressed.-iff brown overaii5. As
we tried to escape she greeted us with
a storm of s1rapnel. The first shell
to find it's mark burst on the star
board deck, killing ten men. The
wireless operator stuck to his post to
the last, sending 8. o. s. signals until
his apparatus failed. We surrender
ed only when we saw that escape was
hopeless, hove to, lifted the wounded
into boats: Four of these died and
were buried at sea.
London evening papers did rot
print the fact that the Armenian was
engaged in admiralty business. All
refer to the incident as Sinking of
Neyland liner" and all emphasize the
"sNpsatjon created in America"
I$%>As some time afterwards when
hessage~cape from Washington
saying thai AmbassadeF Rage had ad
vised the state department. II the
ships correct status.
ENGLAND in GREAT PERIL,
DECLARES LORD CJJRzON