The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1915-08-27
BERLIN is ASKED
FOR EXPLANATION
Rupture Will Follow COlfirnd-
tiOn of Newspaper Version
PAGE SLOW WITH REPORT

Washington Will Not Act Until Of.
ficiaI Information Is Obtained, EGt
Will Make No Recession From Orig
inaI Note-President Issues State
ment-RerIin Says Report May Be
Slow Coming.
Washington, Aug. 24-The condi
tion of the relations between the
United States and Germany is very
delicate. If the newspaper reporjs
of the sinking of the liner Arabic
are officially verified a severance OF
relations will take place very soon.
Whether the sinking of the liner
Arabic constitutes the deliberately
unfriendly" act against which Ger
many was warned depends upon tbs
answers received from Ambassador
Page at London and Ambassado-
Gerard at Berlin.
President Wilson will avail hiIlsrl
Of every opportunity consistent v.
the honor and dignity of the CD.lc
States government 10 avoid a ruprU
with Germany, but he vii! go n
further. There will be no backwaE
step from the solemn warning con
veyed to Germany in the last note =
this government. Information oe
tained here sweeps away every
vestige of doubt as to the presidents
resolution to deal firmly and quickly
with the situation, once he is con
vinced that American rights on th>
high seas have again been deliberate
ly violated by the German govern
ment.
Until complete information is a.
hand Mr.. Wilson and Secretary Ian
sing will reserve final judgment on
the sinking of the White Star liner.
The hope of the president and his ad-
visers is that this Judgment will not
long be deferred. Instructions have
been sent to Ambassador Page al
affidavits obtained by him, and mes
sage also went forward to Ambassa.
dor Gerard at Berlin directing him to
inquire of the Berlin foreign office II
a report had been received from the
commander of the German submarine
in regard to the sinking of the Arabic.
Mr.. Gerard is not to ask for any ex
planation, but his inquiry will amount
to an invitation to Germany to fur
nish to this government the report Of
the submarine commander.
Also the opportunity will be at hand
for Germany to make any statemen
in her own defense if she so desires.
There is no way of telling exactly
how long it will be before reply il
received from Ambassador Gerard.
There have been suggestions from
Berlin already that it might be q
week, or even two weeks, before the
German admiralty receives a repor,
from the submarine which sank the
Arabic. If Germany desires to play
for time she will have the means at
her disposal for doing so, for Presi-
dent Wilson is determined that this
government shall do nothing rashIy.
1t is assumed by the government Of
ficials that Germany will not unneces-
sarily delay the presentation of her
side of the case.
To emphasize the determination O.
the president to secure all possible
information before closing his mind
as to the Arabic incident, this state
ment was iasued at the White House:
''The seCfetary to the president,
after conference with the president,
made the following statement:
with reference to the sinking of
the Arabic. as soon as all the facts
are ascertained, our course of action
will be determined"
There was evidence of some irrita-
ton in official quarters over the fac,
that no detailed evidence has yet
been received from Ambassador Page.