Middletown transcript., 1916-01-08

ship. She sank in five minutes.
| Washington.-The British steamer
Persia was torpedoed without warn
ing by an unknown submarine and
sank in five minutes with loss of
245 lives, according to an oIicial dis
patch to the State Department from
American Consul Garrels at Alex.
andria, Egypt.
Charles H. Grant, of Boston, one
of the Americans aboard, was saved.
Robert N. McNeely, American Consul
at Alden, Arabia, was last seen strug-
Cling in the waters and is believed to
have drowned.
The State Department gave out the
following paraphrase of the official
dispatch:
Persia sank 300 miles northwest of
Alexandria at LOS on the afternoon Of
December 30. Steamer sank in five
minutes. No submarine was seen, but
an officer of the Persia saw its wake.
One hundred and fifty-five out of 460
Alexandria January 1. Charles H.
Grant among survivors, but McNeely
was probably lost, as he was last seen
in the water"
Second To Lusitania Tragedy.
Receipt of this official news dissi-
pated the hope officials had that ex-
tenuating circumstances might be
found for the Persia disaster. The
sinking of the vessel without warning
and with such heavy loss Of life Is
considered second only to the Lusi-
tania tragedy as an example Of pre-
mediated maritime murder.
In view of the fact that the sub
marine was not seen by officers or
passengers of the Persia and its
identity therefore cannot be establish
ed, it was considered highly probable
that prompt demands will be made to
the German and Austrian Govern
ments for information with respect to
the submarines nationality.
Asks For Fuller Reports.
The dispatch from Consul Garrels |
was brief and did not state from what |
source the information contained |
therein was obtained. Cabled instruc-
tions were Immediately sent to the
Consul to obtain afhdavits from off,
GERS and passengers, particularly from
the American survivor, Charles H. |
Grant, with a view to determining all
of the facts in the case so far as they
are known.
An intimation in unofficial sources
that the Persia was an armed vessel
was taken as an indication that this
might be one defense set up by Ger
many or Austria for the attack. That
the United States would reject this
line of defense was definitely indicated
by officials.
Attention was called to the fact that
he United States definitely placed it.
self on record on the question of arm
ng merchant vessels of belligerents in
official instructions sent to port collec.
.ors, September 19, 1914.
Ruling On Armed Ship.
In this official order it was declared
hat the United States would consider
t an indication that armament carried
S not intended for and will not be
lsed in offensive operations if the fol-
owing facts are shown:
THAT the vessel carries passengers
Who are, as whole, untitled to enter
military or naval service of the bel
igerent whose flag the vessel flies or
# any of it's allies, especially if the
list includes women and
hildren."
This is the only defense that off,
ials conceive could be entered by the
ubmarine commander, as official in
ormation thus far at hand makes it {
lain that the Persia did not try to
scape and did not first make an at. t
ack on the submarine.
Probably Austrian U-5oat.
In view of the statements by Count {
on BeInstOTn that nU German or
urkish submarine has been operating Z
l the Mediterranean, it is accepted as 1
ank the Persia. q
officials said that no immediate de- a
land on the Central Powers will be Z
Iade until further facts are obtained L
ther from American diplomatic and C
onsular officers or in response to in. b
1iries to the German and Austrian l
1t was strongly init A
ated that decisive action would await G
le return of President Wilson to Il
this week. h