The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-07-02
MORE AMERICANS
VICTIMS OF SUBMARINE
Dominion Steamer Armenian
Torpedoed by Germans.
SEVERAL AMERICANS LOST
Attitude Of State Department
Depends on Ownership.

Depenus on ownership.
Washington. June. 30.-The Do
minion freight liner Armenian, fly
ing the British flag and carrying
mules from Neport News, Va, to
England, was torpedoed and sunk
Monday night by the German sub
marine U-3S off Cornwall, Eng, and
nearly score of American mule
teers aboard are reported lost, ac-
cording to messages to the state de-
partment today from John S. Arm
strong, Jr., consul at Bristol.
Twenty-nine men in all were lost
and 10 injured. The news created a
sensation in official quarters, as il
was the first case of loss of Ameri-
can lives since the sinking of the
Lusitania. The action of the Wash
ington government, however, de-
pends almost entirely on whether
the Armenian was chartered by the
British government and was, in fact,
transport of war aboard which
Americans would sail at their own
risk, or whether she was an un-
armed merchantmen. In the latter
case, even though carrying contra
band, the ship should have been sub
jected to visit and search and those
aboard transferred to a place of
fnt,
vessel was attempted, officials hold.
In the absence of conclusive in
), formation on these points officials
declined to say what effect the sink
ing OF the Armenian would have OH
pending negotiations between the
United States and Germany. Imme-
diate inquiry was directed, however.
to Ambassador Page at London to
obtain more details and when Sec
retary Lansing returns tomorrow
Ambassador Gerard will be instruct
ed to inquire of the German ad-
miralty as to its report.
From the message received it ap-
pears that in addition to the torpedo
at least one shot was fired from a
disappearing rifle. The consuls re-
port said the wireless house was
taken by second shot" 1t was not
made clear whether the Armenian
first was ordered to halt and re
sisted capture, requiring a second
shot or whether the submarine at
tackled without warning. The fact
that the number Of the submarine
was given indicated that she had
come to the surface to make the at
tack.
Mules are contraband of war, ac-
cording to all the lists of the bel
ligerents so there can be no doubt
as to the contraband character of
the Armenians cargo. Officials will
make an effort to learn. however,
whether the vessel was armed and
whether she WAS part of the Brit
ish naval forces before the opinion
of the state department on the case
will be disclosed.
All the dispatches received were
promptly telegraphed to President:
Wilson at Cornish, n. H., and Sec
retary Lansing at Amherst, Mass.
and II was considered probable that
they would communicate with each
other while in New England
The messages from Consul Arm
strong did not show clearly just how
many Americans were lost. In his
list of Americans missing, he named
23 muleteers-eight whites and Is
negroes. Later kilograms spoke of
DIR. j. S. Viso, a Porto Rican, and
three negroes as having been picked
up by a submarine and other sur
vivors By Belgian trawler and
transferred to two British destroyers
which brought them into Bristol.
Unofficial advices here tonight
were to the effect that the Armenian
had been chartered by the Dominion
Line to the LeylaDd Line, which is
understood to have contract for
the shipment OF mules for the Brit
ish government and has made many
trips In the mule trade In the past
few months.
Officials here will Inquire whether
the vessel carried any British officers
and what measure OF control the
Continued on Page Eight.)