The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1915-07-22
FIRED AT ORDUNA
NEWEST CUNARDER NARROWLY
MISSES DESTRUCTION !.
TORPEDO COMES CLOSE
Story Is Told in New York-Subma-
rine Appeared Before Ship on July
and After Missing it With Tor
pedo Undersea Boat Shelled it With
Guns.

Guns.
Into the grave situation that has
developed between the United States
and Germany over the sinking of the
Lusitania was thrust another issue
Saturday when it was revealed that
the British steamer Orduna, carrying
score OF Americans, had been at
lacked by German submarine
Lacking information as to the cir
| cumstances of the attack, officials
were unable to predict to what extent
| the Orduna incident would aggrayate
the situation, but they thought the
question would certainly compel Sc
rious consideration by President Will
son and his cabinet. Although the
Orduna escaped unhurt, this, in the
view of officials, does not relieve the
case OF grave possibilities.
The fact that a belligerent mer-
chant ship, bound for the United
States with Americans on board and
without arms and ammunition or
contraband cargo, was assailed while
her passengers slept convinced many
official Is that the theory they had en-
! tertained of an actual change i'm the
practice OF German submarine com
manders apparently lad BEEN dissi-
pated.
One point on which the entire case
so far as the United States Is con-
| cerned, may hinge is whether any at
tempt was made to halt the Orduna
by the customary warning signals.
AS yet the case is not officially be-
fore the state department, but as
soon as some Of the American pas
sengers file their statements of what
TOOK place, the question undoubtedly
4 oh iy,,,, Il
| attention of German government for
report from it's submarine com
mander on the circumstances of the
attack.
The case is believed to be different
from that of the Anglo-Californian
and the Armenian, which we're order
ed to halt but repeatedly attempted
to escape. According to the rules of
international law, even though neu-
trails are on board, the use of force is
held to be justified to compel sub
| mission.
The captain and officers of the Or
duna have stated that no warning or
signal had been given when the tor
pedo was seen streaking through the
water. Officials thought therefore
that any attempt made by the Or
duna TO escape was probably justified.
| 1AiSSpSSIiNO VI NltIHeT OT not Sig
nal was given to the Orduna to halt
or whether the shots fired by the
Germans came without warming, the
| view which impressed officials was
that German submarines had not
| abandoned their attempts to destroy
enemy passenger vessels, whether
| carrying contraband or not and that
American citizens seemed still to be
subject to hazards from which under
previously accepted rules of interna-
tional law they should be immune.
In official quarters news of the at
tack came as shock, for 1t had been
confidently believed, as a result Of the
informal expressions Of Count Won
Bernstorff, the German ambassador.
and press dispatches from Berlin that
Americans on board passenger YES
sells at least would be safe from at
| tack
When the Cunarder reached New
York Saturday the story Of the attack
came to light. On July 8, when the
Orduna was out twenty miles from
the graveyard Of the Lusitania off
Old Head OF Kinsale, the Orduna es-
capped the Lusitania's s fate by one-half
of a second of time or ten feet of
space, the German torpedo churning
the war that distance behind the lin
er's rudder. Then the Orduna sped
away. She was followed by the sub
marine. which rose to the surface,
| Continued on last Iage.)