Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-08
GRAVEST SITUATION
NOW FACES u. S.
IContinued from FIRST Page. ]

belligerent vessel, but ne considered
the attack on the American steamer
Gulflight a much more serious Of
fense against neutral rights.
The President, Secretary Bryan ana
other members of the cabinet were Vls-
IDLY depressed. Persons who talked
with them found them sick at heart
and grieved at the horror of the catas-
trophe. Notwithstanding that warn
ings had been gwen, IL had been re-
garded as fnconceivable by high OFF,
cials that the threatened sinking of
the vessel would actually be carried
into effect The fact that the Lusita-
mia was a British ship, flying the Brit
ish flag and even had contfaband of
war aboard, did not remove from their
minds the ever recurrent thought that
a hostile submarine deliberately de-
stroyed the ship with the knowledge
that hundreds of defenseless neutrals
and women and children were aboard.
VESSEL NOT ARMED
Everywhere that aspect oversha-
dowed the legal phases of the case. for,
while there is said TO be no precedent
in international law for the attack
without warning on a belligerent mer-
chairman, il was realized that defense
might be made on the charge that
guns were mounted ON the deck. That,
however, the British government has
denied.
probable representations to Germany
will be general, covering all the cases
OF attack on American vessels. It was
pointed out that the case of the Gulf
light, also torpedoed without warning,
with loss of three American lives,
might be made the basis for action by
the United States, but that the Lusi-
tania incident, the death of Leon &.
Thresher, an American, on the Brit
1sh steamer Faiaba, and the attack
! by German airmea on the American
steamer Gushing, might be grouped as
an Indictment by the American gov
ernment against Germany for failure
to observe the rules of International
law with respect to the lives of nom
combatants.
IN OFFICIAL QUARTERS AND
AMONG DIPLOMATISTS THERE
WAS APPREHENSION THAT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE MIGHT NOT
SUFFICIENT. A SPECIAL SESSION
OF CONGRESS HAS BEEN TALKED
OF. BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO
INTIMATION OF 1T AS YET FROM
ANY OFFICIAL QUARTER.
Officials everywhere, sparing in their
comment, realized that word from
the high officials of the government
might have weight with public opin-
ion before the facts had been received
and digested.
I'VE are informing ourselves as
rapidly as possible of the facts and
doing what we can for those injured"
was the only statement Secretary
Bryan would make.
! The President returned to the White
House at noon and resumed reading
dispatches. He continued to refuse 10
make any comment.
AMBASSADOR AWAY
At the German embassy both Count
| laurR xRfT 81 I.Nv.
Haniel Won HaimhauScn, councillor
were out of town but the ambassador
was expected late to-day. IL was de-
iinitely known, however, that no ad-
vices had been received making ref
erence TO the catastrophe. The gem
eral sentiment prevailing was one of
concern and regret that the destruc-
tion of the ship had been attended
with the loss of life.
| That the Lusitania was considered
n franc tireur" of the sea by German
naval commanders was stated in Ger
man diplomatic circles. 1t was further
said that embassy officials had not re-
ceived any notification to the effect
that the big British liner had removed
her guns.
| Stones Statement
Chairman Stone, of the Senate for
eign relations committee, made this
! statement
/ Ine~~lTdBeuey Is, OF course, pro-
foundly regretted. If the reports
as to the loss of life are true, the
sympathies of the civilized world will
| be deeply stirred. But for US, it
seems to me that good sense die
| tates that we keep our heads until
we get our bearings. 1t is a bad
time to get ratified and act impuls-
| lively. Don't rock the boat.
Without expressing an opinion as
| to our relations to this event. there
are some facts we cannot overlook
and are bound to consider. We can
| not overlook the fact that the Lusi-
| tania was a British ship flying the
British flag and subject at any time
| to be put into the actual naval SER
vice of the government. Indeed, it is
stated, that at the time she was at
| tackled she was carrying military re-
! servists to England for service in the
| British army. True, there were
American citizens aboard. but it must
not be forgotten that they went
aboard a belligerent ship with full
| knowledge of the risk and after Off
cial warning by the German govern
ment. When on board a British vessel
| they were on British soil Their po-
sition was substantially equal to be-
! ing within the walls of fortified
city.
aside from the possible loss of
! American lives, let us ask ourselves
! just where we come in. At the pres
! ent moment and with the light now
! before me, I confess that it appears
| to me that from our standpoint as
neutral nation the Gulflight case pre-
sents more delicate and serious COM
! plication than the case of the Lusi-
/ tania"
Senator Lodge, ranking Republican
members of the foreign relations COM
! mittee, said he was not prepared to
| discuss the sinking of the Lusitania.
! The sinking of a passenger ship, even
of belligerent, without giving pas
sengers an opportunity to leave, the
Senator thought a new thing in war
fare.