The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-09

n believed the United States has decided
nok TO wait for another busitanta al
Il 4Atr before Ming o vigorous protes
md demanding of Austria the SAINT
u assurances exacted of Germany.
rs Iip to the present time the uniiec
4 0<afAs has had nothing from Austria
- Indicate whether she subscrtbes L
the rules laid down by csermsnys re
Rponse to American demands, wheFe
ahy lives of noncomhatants and neu
trails may be safes0afded IN suona'
srlne attacks. Moreover, IL was al
anitsed today that, except insofar as
Count Won Rernstortf the German
ambassador was able 20 pledge MS
government in the personal ho1t
(which he sent TO Mr., Lansing on the
Arabic case the German government
n sstsrtf has in no formal way replied 70
she last formal note of the United
states on submarine warfare.
No Formal Reply From Berlin.
IL was recalled this evening that
Y1.e n assurances which the ana ehsSa dor
gave Mr. Lansing as 10 Germany IN
s.ntton to abide by the rules OF IN
,ernationai law prescribed FOR attacks
~, merchants vessels were contained
tn an informal note from the am
a,assaaor 10 the Secretary Of State, ana
while It has been assumed mat IN"
ambassador spoke WITH the ah'h"t4lN
s,f his government In declaring Una
Herman submarines henceforth Would
nos attack uuarIned merchant sNps
without warning and without oppor-
e4Hnity for those on BOARD 3" es0a ~
there Is sti!l left to he granted the
American contention that the mere
SHARING. ~ men and women In NC
sia,,ats AZ sea does net fatal the obil-
s.at3on To "ulace fbe passengers anu
crew In places az safety
This latter contention was set toT'h
IA fhA las. na}t e tnc h.tei states
t. German in the Frye Ease IN
whieh the United States agreed 20
submit the question uf 1H4r1AHiiE TO
ssrbiffat3on hut asked what Ger
rz---..>sa hcasa,.t5+et#3 9@+s3a he
X. ssfepaardIog the lives Of passe|l p
syars ard crews au board boats which
sne might attack.
Epplv Not Satisfactory.
Within the last twenty-four
hanr. Secretary Lansing has re-
,eised from ipassador Gerard
nj Berlin the resume OF 1.T-
n,a,l1s coming reply 10 fhiS
nScstfca Tie reply itself il
coming by mail. What this re-
sgme contains secretary Lansing
refused to state, bar IL is under
stood TINT il was MOI satisfactory
Whether This resume came III
time 10 MAY a part I'm influencing
the government 10 send The more
n Austria IL WINS Impossible 10
h'arn
Regsrtiine the details Of reported AZ
sarRs On The TetToitte and Comnun'-
nav fha dispatches received at the
STATE DEPARTMENT have merely served
n fnvstify. The first report ON the
seet-altts ca,ne from the United States
aYy,fnIster At Athens, stating on IN"
authority Of a MESSAGE received at a
Crenk government wireless station
sbat am American vessel, with an un-
futefligible name, had been attacked
H. . submarine md shelled on the af
fernoon Of December 3. The position
of the vessel WAS given subsequently
she American cruiser Ipes MONIES re
ported from Canea, Crete having re-
S,earea a message from the petrolite
stating that she bad been Srfited OF
Eunaay morning by an Austrian sub
marine. bus indicating that she hac
4escaped Her position as given 10 tht
nas NofneS was different from that
set forth in the Athens report lr
.he absence Of further details Seere-
fary Lansing is waiting for the Petro
lite to make some port in order tina
lse Nigh get full report She Is re
ported hound for New York
As to thN eGfumhatpaS
Regarding the Gon1nunipaw ever
nreater confusion exists Anoassado
THOMAS Nelson Page. AZ Rome. fire
Reported American vessel held 4
he cofnn1anipaw sunk by submarine.
Today the arlba ssat1or simply report
sd american steamer Commnnipa'
held 20 be captured, Taken to an un
known port" These conflicting state
snenfs coupled with press reports to
day from Alexandria. Egypt, REPORTING
the arrival there Of the Communipa~
have completely mystlfed officials, ANY
have creted appresenst9ns that per
hape other tankers nsides these tw
were attacked
One CONCLUSION appears fixed. how
ever. that Austrian or German submar
4nes have started general activitie
against American oil tankers carry
fuel oil 10 Bftf.eh ports or the Mediter
ranean. when British warships operat
5ng against ihe harasnelles may oh
rain fuel supply Although fuel oI
81. contra 10 nd II is held nj the stat
sJat5arfruent that American vessel
carrying il 20 British ports ara en.itle
10 protection against attack withou
warning on the other hand Il wa
saasnitted these shins. r actually de
s9ivaring their carEoes direct TO tn
allies feet would take OF the char
sacter Of tenders and hence ships o
war. and that not only would the,
~hs lawfully subject TO attack upde
sany circumstances. bat their owner
4woaid he guilty of violating Americai
.HeHtrality laws
What reply tuEtria Il likely to MAX
~ the demand fer satisfaction In III
4 IA aeoua csse r. a matter Of grave con
*esrn in view of the strained relation
s,-r a xy{t8S- sas44 ~ the recall ~ AtuttasSa