Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-03

tsrnined whether the circumstances
wcrc such as to warrant tho action
taken.
II am confident. at least ] hope. that
the final explanation viii be quite sat.
isractory, IL the cunmanner of tho
Submarine disobeyed his instructions. !
fesl sure ms government viii not hest.
tate to satisfactorily adjust the matter.
From the answer made to the last
Npee sn the AncOnu alone. II is quite
evident that the Austro- Hungarian
government Will not count.rnancc any
act which Is wrong"
'TEUTONIC CIRCLES
CONFIDENT Of SETTLEMENT
Complete confidence prevails In Tru-
TOME DIPLOMATIC circles thp, if an Aus
tFtan submarine sank thu Persia with,
ont warning, the act would be dis
aRowcd, prompt rcparation made for
american lives lost. aud the subma-
rihe commanded severely punished.
1t Is understood Baron Zwicdinek viii
call upon Secretary l.,nsin; tomorrow
Tor the purpose of informally convey
ing his views the subject and en-.
ueaFoF to gain an understanding OF the
views Of the United States Tor the tn
formation OF his government
Only one dispatch lonce,nint the
sinking of ,hc Persia was received to.
day by the State Department. ], came
from Consul GGrrcis. at Alexandria,
EGYPT. and Indicated that Consul Me
Nicely. on his way to his post, had been
lost. He was last seen I'm the water
betorc the steamship went down Con.
SUI Garrcls reported also that Charles
Il. Grant, of Boston, another American
VINO wns aboard the Persia. was among
inc SURVIVORS. No supma rinc war seen
oE inc Survivors. according 10 tho con-
suls report. but mn officer OF the shin
SAID he saw the wake Of u torpedo. Tho
ftfsia Went down in five minutes This
dispatch was Immediately forwarded TO
president Wilson ~ Hot Springs
While Secretary Lansing declined to
comment on the situation confronting
inc United States IL became known that
ne ard other officials "ere awaiting
luil Information before forming an
opinion and determining upon any oc-
ton.
NOT CONVINCED THAT
SUBMARINE SANK PERSIA
omeanIs expressed themselves ns
NOT icing convinced that a submarine
sank tho Persia. They wcr, Imnr.,s
:'i by the statement In the di.p,tch
from Alexandria that the wake ~ tho
torpedo had been seen. though NJ, s,h-
marine was Visible. Navy officers who
were consulted sail they would con-
'i"tr II out OF the ordinary, although
not impossible, that Il torpedo dreh by
submarine should leave u visIhia
w;kc.
discussion of the case TODAY show.
ca 'hRt officials generally felt thu, the
'inlted states had about come to tho
enc OIL the rope in conducting d!pio-
matte negotiations over submur,nc
"hrfnre. There was no inclination 10
minimize tn, gravity M the situation
ina ina, would develop II 1t Was proved
tnat nm Austrian submarine sank tho
rersta and prompt disavowai from
Niennn was not Forthcoming. II Is
thought possible. however. that tho
vienna government may see ~ To fol-
low the example set by Gcrmunv uunu
the sinking OF the A..nbic
The Arabic was torpe,lo,d -,
time when It appeared that the suh.
marine controversy with Germany WAN
on the rond To settlement 4 wc.,
inter Count Won Ncrnstorn tho Cor
man ambassador. received instruc
''ons TO assure the United Stntcs WOW.
ernment that full satisfaction "n,n,
than disavowar wouid n, given nv,
the Rerlin government should the cI-
cumstances, as they were then reprc.
sente1. prove to he correct
MAY ADDRESS INouIRIES
To ALL THREE NATIONS
Sh ould the developments warrant
it, anil should the mystery surround.
Ing the nationality OF the suhnnrin.
remain uns"Ivrd. the United SsntcS. 1:
was said. probably will address In.
quiries 20 Germany, Austria and Tur.
Key. the only nations whose submn,
rines might be In the Mcditrrrancan
The inquiries necessarily would hay.
to he acnt to all thrcr nations. al.
though IL Is certain In oiiicia: circles
that Austria liz the only one OF ,hsm
that has submarines In tina, vicinity,
This belief is hnncd primarily upon
a statement recently made by Count
Won h"rnHtorff I" the effect that no
German or Turkish submarines were
known to he operating there.
Any action taken by the l,rit, |
states VIII hc based upon nfiidnvIta
from passengers :.ra rttoularly Amcri-
ems. rather than upon officers OF tho
ship. Final decision us Ia what AZ
ton. " any. Is to be taken. Will he
made by the President. who viii re-
turn 10 Washington from Hot Springs
In a day or two
Several points remain to be cleared
UP. The State Department especially
desires additional confederation of tho ,
statement that the wake uf n torpedo
was seen. II regards nv hcIng signi.
ficant the statement that the ve.s.I
went down In five minutes and de.
sires all details upon this point. al-
though II Is assumed that Consul Gar
rels based the statement uron infor.
nation received from passengers.
1t IS understood that the I.usitania
and the Ancona negotiations will he
allowed 10 remain In their present
status until more dcnnite details re.
gardias the circumstances OF the sink.
ing IT the Persia are a; hand