Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-08
DANGER Of BREAK
WITH BERLIN AGAIN
SEEMS imminent
Explanation of Arabia Sink.
ing Is Weak and I'm
satisfactory.
CLAIMS COMMANDER TOOK
VESSEL FOR A TRANSPORT
If Mistaken, German War Office
Expresses Readiness to
Make Amends.
NATTER IN HANDS OF WILSON
Virtually Only One Course Believed
to Remain Open for United
States.
CLAIMS COMMANDER TOOK
VESSEL FOR A TRANSPORT
NATTER IN HANDS OF WILSON
Virtually Only One Course Believed
to Remain Open for United
States.
tBy Associated Press. j

WASEINGTON. December 1.-Gcr-
many's acccptauc" Of responsibility s"r
the sinking without warning of the
British liner Arabia with the .Xplana-
tiun that her submarine commander
took the vessel for an auxiliary war
ship. has brought the issue over sub
marine warfare Ia a more serious and
:lear-ut basis than anything that has
happened since the threat OF the United
States to break diplomatic relations
after the torpedoing Of the channel
liner Sussex last April
Such information as the. American
government now has shows the Arabia
TO have been a passenger ship OF the
Peninsular AMI Oriental Line. passing
through the Mediterranean on a rcgu-
lar voyage. Among the many passen-
gers was an American citizen, who was
rescued.
Tn" German note. which was made
public io-d"! by the department.. says
II official data is furnished showing
that tho vessel WAS AN ordinary pas
sengcr steamer. this then would hc ::
case OF regrettabl. mistake from
which the German government would
promptly draw tho appropriate conse-
Quenccs."
1t Is assumed here that the conse-
quenccs would be an expression Of r.-
gret and offer Of rcparation for any
injury or danger suffered by the
Americans on board.
NOTE Is REFERRED
rO PRESIDENT WILSON
The note has been referred to Presi-
dent Wilson, who is considering per-
sonally a review or recent German sub.
{,.Is siau 80, II
case comes az climax. There prob.
ably Will bc no immediate action. as
tn. Stale Department first must clear
up beyond question tho exact status
OF the liner NJ the time of the attack
Then II would be for the President to
decide the course 10 be followed
In official quarters tho German ex-
PLANTATION is regarded AS weak and un-
satisfactory, no weight being attached
to the statements that the Arabia was
painted Ike n transport and was fol-
lowing route usually taken by trans
ports. and that the submarine COM
mandcr saw many Cinnamon. but no
women and children aboard her. It is
realized. however. tnat If official data
finally establishes the innocent charac-
ter Of the vessel. In view OF the SUSSEX
case, virtually only one action remains
open to the United States. and that
would not he taken until every possible
consideration had been given Ger
munys position.
While Secretary Lansing himself re-
fused all CONNER: to-day beyond the
mere publication OF the notc, II is
known authoritatitely that C;ermany's
admission in the Arabia case her siini-
lar admission In the Marina case, when
early facts in the sinking OF the Amer
lean steamer ChemunG, have combined
to create much anxiety. The temporary
quietudc in submarine operations which
followed the pledges in the Sussex case
apparently has been dispcllcd. and Off
cials are recalling the belief then an
nounced that submarine warfare is
utterly Incompatible with the prn-
cples OF humanity the long established
and incontrover,ible rights of neutrals.
and the sacred immun,tes of noncom-
batants."
TEXT OF REPLY MADE
TO CHARGE GREW
The note, addressed by the Berlin
Foreign Office to Charge Grew. in re-
ply to his inquiries. follows:
Foreign Office, Berlin, December 4.
1916. .
The undersigned has the honor to
inform Mr.. Grew, charge d'affaires Of
the United States OF America. in re-
ply to the note Of the 21st ultimo, that
the investigation conducted by the
German government concerning the
sinking of the British steamer Arabia
has led to the following results:
"On the morning OF November 6 a
German submarine encountered a large
steamer coming from the Corigo
Straits. 100 nautical miles west Of the
island OF Corigo The steamer was
painted black and had black super
structures. and not. as Is otherwise
the case with T.. K o. Line suberstruc-
lures. light color. The steamer, which
was identical with the Arabia, was not
travelling on the route regularly useo
by the passenger steamers between
Port Said and Malta. as is made plain
on the inclosed map. but was taking a
zigzag course toward tho west 100
nautical miles north OF that route
This course. on which the submarine
passed three similar steamers ut the
sane spot on the same morning. leads
from the Aegean to Malta SO that the
Arabia was moving on the transport
route Corigo-Malta used solely for war
purposes, according to the experiences
until now.
1.-THE commander OF the submarine
large patches OF Chinese and other
tunes on board the steamer. He con.
s:dered them to be workmen soldiers
CONTINUED on Second Page.)