Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-02
BRITISH Liner
PERSIA IS SUNK
BY SUBMARINE
Passenger Ship on Way from Lon.
don to Bombay is TOrpedoed
as 1t Approaches
Alexandria.
AMERICAN OFFICIAL ON BOARD
Early Reports Indicate that Many
Passengers and Members Of
Crew Are Killed.
TENSION WITH AUSTRIA AGAIN

LONDON, Jan. 1.-The British
liner Persia was sunk Thursday and
most OF the passengers and crew
we're lost. The vessel was approach
ing Alexandria when It was hit by
torpedo.
Robert McNeely. American consul
at Alden, was a passenger on the
Persia. A Lloyd's dispatch says that
most OF the passengers and men OF
the Persia were lost Four boats got
clear before the Persia sank. i
The Peninsular and Oriental Steamship
company stated officially this afternoon
that the Persia had left London, Decem-
ber IS. and Marsellies, December %, carry
ing British malls bound for Bombay and
that It was sunk off the island OF Crete.
Only four boats got away from the ship.
These boats were picked up by steamer
bound for Alexandria and the survivors
were expected there this morning
Loss of Life Heavy.
The names OF the passengers saved
have not yet been received. They will
be published as soon as possible. The
companys statement says II is feared
that the loss Of life among the pas
sengers and crew will be heavy.
Three Americans ON Hoard.
Mr.. McNeely sailed from New Yorh
for England on November q. on the Hol-
land-Amerlca liner Ryndam. A fellow
passenger was Robert p Skinner. Arneri-
can consul general at London. Mr..
McNeely was on his way to take hts
first consular post. Mr.. Skinner advised
him TO sail for the east by the Dutch
line, but the young man already had en-
Gagged passage on the Persia.
In addition TO Mr., McNeely two other
Americans arc known to have been pas
sengers on the Persia when Il left Lon
don. Charles n. Grant was ON his way 10
bombay Edward Rose. school boy.
was on the way from Denver TO Gibraltar.
Rose probably landed at Gibraltar and
was not on board the boat at the time
II was sunk. f}e
Sixty-one first class and eighty-three
second cabin passengers. including eight
children. boarded the steamship Persia
at London. according 20 information OBJ
tained at the Peninsular and Oriental
line AZ Marseiiles thirty-ffve OF the first
class and thirty-two OF the second cabin
boarded the boat.
The company estimated that after de-
Quoting the number OF passengers leay-
ing the ship at its various ports Of cal
about 100 passengers were aboard wher
the vessel was sunk
ReOpens Subsea Controversy.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 1.--Destruotion oi
the British liner Persia with possible iosi
OF American lives, throw relations be
: tween the United States and the Teu
tonic powers into a new danger.
; Coming almost at the hour when
, satisfactory adjustment OF the delioat,
} situation was at hand by Austria's dlplo
, mats Of the cardinal points OF the Amer
ican demands In the Ancona case thl
new element threatens TO complicate az
fairs with Austria as thoroughly as tn
destruction Of the Arabic following .,
closely the Lusitania exchanges. brough
on a renewed crisis with Germany.
From such incomplete information a
was at hand today the two situation
! are regarded as almost parallel. II wa
4 generally presumed In official circles tina
as was the case in the crisis with Ger
' many. the Austrian admiralty and tn
r Vienna foreign Office are working at eros
: purposes.
K Admiralty RunnInE Amuckf
}. II was regarded as a strong possibilit
= that while the foreign office is ready {
$ aecede to the contentious of the Unite
e states the admiralty bent on the succes
e Of its submarine policy. has not yet bee
= brought into line.
= There is, however. the added possibi
. ity that the submarine which sunk tn
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