The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-01-08
VlXI
WILSON BACK IN WASHINGTON
RETURNS TO MEET NEW CRISIS
WHICH CONFRONTs NATION.

AOn NauSeO Dy sinking OF steamer
Persia with American Consul on
BOard-OAicials Take Gloomy View
Of New Complication.
washington, Jan. 3.-President Will
SON started to Washington from Hot
Springs. Va. tonight to take personal
charge of the nations foreign affairs
in the new crisis brought about by
the sinking Of the British steamship
Persia with the loss of at least one
American life. The situation is. re-
garded in official circles as being the
most serious to confront this govern
ment since the submarine operations
OF the central powers began.
The president will probably lay the
facts thus far established before the
cabinet tomorrow. The destruction
of the Persia following upon the crisis
precipitated by the Ancona disaster
may result in the United States deter
mining to settle Immediately all ques-
tons involved in the submarine war;
fare. The subject is expected to find
Its way to the floor Of the house and
senate tomorrow when congress re-
convenes after the holidays.
President Wilson decided to cut
short his honeymoon and return to
the capital at once after telephone
conferences with Secretary Lansing
and Mr.. Tumulty, his private secre-
tary. It was found. however, that he
could not conveniently start until
s:45 tonight. He should arrive at Z
o'clock tomorrow morning. =,
The United States is reported to-
night as being prepared and deter
mined to take any action that the facts
Iconcerning the Persia may warrant.
Ofacials are trying to view the situa-
Ntton with open minds. but 1t is .ap-
parent that they are disturbed by the
IFeQQrts resolved from consular agents
~ Alexandria and Cairo. Egypt. q.
|s 1xery effort will be made to es-
hblfyh the truth Of the report that the
,iss torpedoed without warm
ipainsse ennsesnplatee
taking no steps until the complete de-
tails are known.
oficials find one source of gratifi-
cation in assurances given by Baron
Erich zwiedinek. charge of the Aus
tro-H Hungarian embassy, to Secretary
lansing during a conference today at
the state department. Baron Zwiedi-
mex is said to have expressed the be-
lief that the final explanation Of the
latest incident would be satisfactory.
He is said to have assured the secre-
tary of his belief that If an Austrian
submarine commander violated the
principles Of international law and the
rules of humanity his government
would take action which would fully
satisfy the United States. Baron
Zwiedinek also sought information for
the benefit Of his government.
Secretary Lansing today instructed
Ambassador Penfield at Vienna to
make informal inquiries which might
lead to the establishment of the
Identity of the submarine which sank
the Persia or the receipt of informa-
ton concerning the circumstances of
the attack.
The secretary acted upon an indi-
cation received from an undisclosed
source that no submarines of other
than Austrian nationality were known
to be operating near the point where
the Persia went down. No specific
instructions were given to Ambassa-
dor Penf1eld. Officials here are not
finally convinced that a submarine
was responsible for the sinking of the
Persia and still see remote posi-
bility that the vessel might have
struck a floating mine.
The report that the liner was car
rying 4.7-inch gun served to revive
consideration for the position taken by
the United States in regard to armed
In the early days Of
the war 1t was announced that mer-
chant ships beloging to belligerents
might be allowed to enter and leave
American waters with guns Of 6-inch
calibre or less mounted upon their
sterns. At that time cruisers of the
central powers had not been swept
from the seas. Later Great Britain
and France, at the suggestion of the
United States agreed that their ships
coming into American waters should