Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-10-31
Germany Sinks a Steamer
and Citizens Of This
Country Drowned.
SECRETARY LANSING
GREATLY DISTURBED
Reoccurrence Of Incident
Which Brought Crisis
Close Cost L. 5. Lives.
lxIAsHINGroN. oct sO.-prolimi-

KA/ HSiiiNb lON, oct. oU.-lfellinl
" nary reports Of the sinking by
German submarines of the British
steamers Marina and Rowanmore,
partly manned by Americans, were too
incomplete tonight to enable officials
at the state department to form an
opinion as to whether there had been
Il violation of neutral rights or of
pledges given the United States by
Germany. Secretary Lansing declined
to comment further than to admit
that the reports appeared more sori-
Gus than the usual routine dispatches
announcing the destruction OF being
erent merchantmen and that fun IN
formation would be awaited with in
terest
ON its face the case of the Marina,
rerorted by Consul Frost at Queens
town. presents tn grdVest situation
that has arisen since the sinking Of
;hc channel lincr Sussex, which
br light the American anl German
governments 10 the verge of a break.
Although he said his Information, wa2
puIch provisional" tho consul ca
blod that the Marina, a horse trans
port with a mixed crew Of British
and Americans" was reported sunk
ithout warning by Grrarn suhma-
lirc yunfirc one hundred miles west
of cape Clear and that seventy Of The
CtCw Of l04 were missing.
Press dispatches have indicated
th0t The missing men might reach
shore in their boats.
Americans Shcllch.
Another message from Mr.. Frost
said members of he crew Of the Ro-
wGnmore. including Americans, had
been shclled in their po.ts while
abandoning The ship after being
chased by submarine for forty
minutes There were no ca3U llties.
According TO the agents in this coun-
Try of the Marina's owners, the Don
GldsCr line. the vessel with some fifty
American horse tenders aboard. was
net under charter 20 the British gov
ernmcnt as n transport, but was en-
gagged IN her regular trade as a
freiGhter and carried horses for the
allies rs a part Of her general cargo
Under such circumstances she would
lie entitled to all the immunities of
any other belligerent-owne1 rer-
chairman and an enemy destroying
her and her Contraband cargo would
hc required to maze due provision for
Tho safety OF Inc ships company m
less she was sunk in the act Of at-
tempting tc escape.
Will Continue WAITING
Apparently all depends upon the
sccuracy of the first reports; whether
the Marina actually was attacked
without warning or whether she is to
be recorded as only another of tie
scores of British carriers that have
gone to the bottom as The result of
their skipper's desperat, efforts to
Cutrun enemy shells.
Until n full report has come from.
Consul Frost no step will be taken by
the state department.
Consul Frost is regarded as a thor
ough investigator and has played n
part in determining the facts in many
of the most important submarine III.
cidents, including the destruction Of
the Lusitania. Affidavits of Amcricnh
survivors are expected from him with
in a day or two
Most of the officials Of the depart
ment are inclined to be very opti-
mistic They point out that time after
time first accounts have made 1t 1r-
pear that a ship had been sunk Illegal
ly and that in every instance since the
Sussex complete reports have proved
that no laws or pledges had been vio-
lated by the submarine destroyer.
omparativcly little importance Is at
tached to the case of the Rowanmoi-.
because 1t is admitted that the vessel
tried to escape and only stopped after
fleeing for fifty minutes and having
her steering gear shot away. There
was heavy fog at the time and Off
cials think it would have been easy
for panic stricken sailors leaving their
battered ship to have imagined that
the submarine was sending shells in
their direction. This opinion -
strengthened by the fact that no life
was lost