Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-10-31
NOACCURkTEREPORTS
One Horse Transport" Reported
To Have Had No Warn. !,
ing
MISSING MEN MIGHT
REACH SHORE SAFELY
Admitted That One Vessel Tor
pedoed Tried to Escape
104 Missing

Washington, Oct. 3O.-Preliminary
reports of the sinking by German sub.
marines of the British steamers Mari.
ma and Rowanmore, partly manned by
Americans, were too incomplete to.
night to enable officials of the state
department to form an opinion as to
whether there had been a violation Of
neutral rights or of pledges given the
United States by Germany.
Secretary Lansing declined to com.
ment further than to admit that tho
reports appeared more serious than
the usual routine dispatches snnounc.
ing the destruction Of belligerent mer.
chantmen, and that full information
would be awaited with interest.
Situation Grave.
On its face, the case Of the Marina,
reported by Consul Frost at Queens.
town, presents the gravest situation
that has arisen since the sinking Of
the channel liner Sussex, which
brought the American and German
governments to the verge. Of q break.
Although he cautioned that his infor-
nation was purely provisional" tho
consul cabled that the Marina, 4 horse
transport with a mixed crew Of British
and Americans" was reported sunk
without warning by German submar.
inc gunfire, one hundred miles west
of Cape Clear, and that seventy Of the
crew of one hundred four were miss.
ing.
May Reach Shore.
Press dispatches had indicated that
the missing men might reach shore in
their boats later Another message
from Mr. Frost said members of tho
crew of the Rowanmore, including
have been shelled In their
boats while abandoning the ship after
being chased by q submarine for 50
There were no casualties.
According to the agents in this coun.
try Of the Marina's owners, the Dom
aldscn line, the vessel, with some so
American horse tenders aboard, was
not under charter to the British gov
as transport. but was en-.
gagged in her regular trade as a freight.
er and carried horses for the Allies Is
= part Of her general cargo. Under
such circumstances she would be en-.
titled to all the immunities Of any
other belligerent-owned merchant.
man, and an enemy destroying her
and her contraband cargo would be 70.
luired to make due provision for tho
safety Of the ships company unless
she was sunk in the act OF attempting
70 escape.
Apparently, all depends upon the &C.
:uracy of the first reports: whether
he Marina was actually attacked.
warning, or whether she is to
oe regarded as only another Of the
scores of British carriers that havo
gone to the bottom ~ the result OF
heir shippers desperate efforts to
'utrun enemy shells.
Await Report.
Until a full report has como from
CONSUL Frost, no steps will be taken
~ the state department.. Amdavits
Il American survivors are expected
rom him within a day or two. ~
Officials were inclined to be opti.
nistic. They point out that time af.
er time first accounts have made it
ppear that a ship had been sunk II.
egally and that in every instance.
ince the Sussex's complete reports
ave proved that no laws or pledges
ave been VT lated by the submarine
estroyer. 80
Comparatively little importance is
ttached to the case of tho Rowan.
1ore, as it is admitted that the vessel
tempted to escape and only stopped
fter fleeing for so minutes and having
er steering gear shot away. There
vas heavy fog at the time, and ON.
ials think it would have been easy
Or panic stricken sailors leaving
heir battered ship to have imagined
hat the submarine was sending shells
4 their direction. This opinion is
trengthened by the fact that no one
,as lost.
Issue Official Statement.
Geneva, Switzerland. via Paris, Oct.
O.-The National Zeitung of Basel
rints the following concerning the
erman submarines, Bremen and
Both the Bremen and the Deutsch.
md have been lost-either captured
lContinued on PaS. TWol