Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-01-07
Notifies United States No
Information Concerning
Sinking Is at Hand.
AFFIDAVITS SECURED
BY u. S. CONSUL
GarreIs at Alexandria Procures State
nents Of Twenty One Survivors
None Saw Attacking Vessel and Say
Attack Came Without Warning
Cabinet Approves Wilson's Policy
Warfare Must Be Modified.

rine crisis, still of uncertain status be-
cause Of lack of details, was placed by
President Wilson before the cabinet
today In its first meeting since his re-
turn from Hot Springs, Va
The senate foreign relations com
mittee also met to consider the situa-
tion, but as Chairman Stone was de-
tanned at the white house in confer
ence with the president, adjourned
without action.
Aitho a week has passed since the
Persia was sunk, officials today were
st.n uniformed whether. tbs vessel
was sunk by a torpedo, and If so what
was the nationality of the vessel
Austria Without Facts.
Overnight dispatches included word
from Ambassador Penfield that the
Austrian government were uninforme ed
on the sinking up to the night Of Jan
4, and word from Consul Garrels al
Alexandria stating that he had OBJ
tanned twenty-one affidavits, all con-
firming reports that mo warning was
given and no vessel was SEEM
Ambassador Penfield's dispatch add
ed that Baron Burian, the Austrian
foreign minister, has asked what in
formation concerning the incident was
in possession Of the United States.
Officers and crew of the Persia, Con-
sui Garrels reported, have left Alex
andria for England. Their affidavits
will be sought upon their arrival there
Facts May Never Be Known.
AS the cabinet assembled, it wal
made plain that the members agreed
! with the president that in the case o!
the Persia nothing could be done unit
i all the facts were at hand. Some o1
! the members expressed the opinicr
| that 1t might never be learned whether
the Persia was sunk by q submarine
Regardless Of the outcome Of. the
Persia case, however, the majority o1
the cabinet members are represented
as believing that the time has come
for making certain that no further at
tacks on merchant ships carrying AM
orleans will be made ~
Administration leaders are said tc
feel that continued loss Of life will
lead the United States into hogtilities
To Forward Affidavits.
Consul Garrels advised the state de-
partment that the affidavits secured
from twenty one survivors of the Per-
sia included that Of Charles H. Grant,
an American citizen.
Consul Garrels has been instructed to
forward summaries Of affidavits he has
obtained
The Auetro Hungarian government,
until the night Of Jan. 4, was without
Information concerning the sinking OF
the Persia, according to advices from
Ambassador Penfield at Vienna.
The ambassadors dispatch was dated
yesterday and contained only informal
information in response to his inquiry
as to whether the Austro Hungarian
government, had knowledge of the
sinking of the Persia, and If so, what
the circumstances were.
Clean Bill For Liner Verdi.
Collector Malone's report. onethe Ital-
ian liner Giuseppe Verdi, which arrived
at New York yesterday with two guns
mounted was received today by the
treasury department and forwarded to
the state department without being
made public.
It Is understood the neutrality in.
|vestigators reported that there were nc
Italian naval gunners aboard and all
members of the crew were regularly SO
It is understood the presence Of the
guns Is held not to alter the Verdis
character as a merchantman. This
opinion, however, Is not binding on the
state department, which Is understood
ito look with disfavor upon any mer-
ichant ship entering United States
port with armament.
Life Loss Is 336.
An announcement made tonight by
the Peninsula and Oriental Steamship
Company says that the number of per-
sons on board the steamer Persia who
have not been accounted for aggregate
1885. OF these 119 were passengers and
PIT members Of the crew.