The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-01-06
PRESIDENT ENDS
HIS HONEYMOON
WIN Confer With Cabinet on
Grave Liner Situation.
NO MORE NOTES EXPECTED
Austrian Charge Asks Judgment Be
Suspended Until Facts Are Known
Wilson May Call Leaders
Of Congress Together.

washington, Jan. 4.-President VIII.
son has cut short his honeymoon and
arrived here today from Hot Springs.
Va, in a special train. He will take
up the task of solving the most seri-
GUS problem that the United States
has faced since the European war be-
gan.
Not so serious in the total loss Of
life or in the number of Americans
who met their death, the sinking of
the Persia has caused greater alarm
both in Teutonic diplomatic circles
and in those circles that hope to keep
the United States out of the Euro.
pean war than did the Lusitania
case. 80
II the facts are as they appear on
the surface; If submarine, whether
OF Austrian or German or even Turk
ish nationality, sent the vessel to the
bottom and snuffed out $50 lives with
out warning, 1t is believed there will
be no more notes. Those closest to
the president believe that his pa.
thence has been exhausted.
Lansing Disregards Gun.
Only one thing seems to give hope
that the Persia was armed in such a
way as to make her a warship. There
is little chance for this, however. In
circles that know the equipment of
the British ships it is said they have
carried guns at their sterns only. This
would not, in the opinion OF Secre.
tary Lansing, make the Persia a war
ship. Not only Goes Secretary Lansing
believe this, but he has forced from
Germany an admission in the Lusi.
tania controversy that his opinion is
correct in the ordinary usages OF in
ternational law.
Baron Zwiedinek, charge of the Aus
trian embassy, is working with might
and main to avert a crisis. Yesterday
he assured Secretary Lansing that
should it be found an Austrian subna-
Tine sunk the Persia, with loss of
American life, his government would
promptly give reparation and satisfac-
ton. He asked that Judgment be sus.
pended until all the facts were known. |
May SaIi congress Leaders.
There seemed to be a growing i'm |
preston in Official quarters that today |
the president may call the congress |
leaders together and acquaint them |
fully with the situation.
1t is now conceded that United |
States Consul Robert N. McNeeIy |
was drowned when the Persia went |
down. There is still some doubt |
whether Edward Rose of Denver, an
American schoolboy at Eton, left the
Persia at Gibraltar. If he didn't he
probably was lost also.
The department gave out two dis
patches containing information regard
ing the sinking of the Persia. The
first, from Consul General Arnold at
Cairo, dated January 2, gives the num-
Der of lost as 200.
The second was from Consul Gar
rels at Alexandria, Egypt, dated Janu.
airy /, and telling that the Persia car
ried one 4.7-inch gun.
The reference to the gun was de-
leted in the paraphrase Of the con-
sul's dispatch as it was given out by
the state department and no explana-
ton was offered of why the deletion
was made.
No Action on Yasaka.
Secretary Lansing indicated that the
United States probably will take no
step in the case Of the Japanese liner
Yasaka Maru, torpedoed in the Medi-
because W. J. Leigh, the
only lost passenger, who was supposed
10 have been an American, never es-
abolished his American citizenship.
Leigh was born of American parents
In China.