Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-07
ARABIA SUNK AS TROOP
SHIP, BERLIN'S BELIEF
U-Boat Commander Struck
Under That Impression, Note
to y. S. Declares

WASHINGTON. Dec. T.-Gcrmany set ~
the contention that tho steamship Arabii
was a troop transport and admitted she had
sunk It under that impression, In her Rn'
swpr to American inquiries. made public
by the state Department today
AZ the same time Germany agreed Il
promptly draw appropriate consequences
II the United States showed the vessel was
an ordinary passenger liner rather than q
transport
The text Of the message said the following
results were shown by the German inves
tgatlon:
on the morning Of November 6 tho
German submarine encountered large
steamship from the Cerlgo Straits. 100
nautical miles west OF the island OF
CerEn
Tho steamship was painted black and
had superstructurc and not. as is other
wise the case with the r and o. Line
superstructure, In light color.
The steamship. which was Identical
with the Arabia. was not travelling on
the route regularly used by the passen-
ger ships between Port Said and Malta,
as Is made plain on an attached map.
but was taking n Zlgsag course toward
the west 100 nautical miles north OF
that route. this course on which the
submarine had passed three similar
steamships At the same spot on the
to Malta. 30 that the Arabia was NOV
ing on the Parigo-Malta transport route
used solely for war purposes, according
to the experiences until now.
The commander of the submarine
further ascrTtaiued that there was a
large number OF Chinese and other col
ored persons In their national costume
on board the steamship. He considered
them to be workmen- soldiers, such as
are used in great numbers behind the
front by the enemies OF Germany. In
spite OF the clear weather and careful
observation the commander did not
perceive any women or children.
In these circumstance the cnn'-
mandcr OF the submarine was convinced
that In the case of this sicImSup,
he was concerned with transport
ship for troops in the service Of the
British Government. which had TO be
considered as an auxiliary warship,
according TO international law, and
therefore being treated like warshlp
lie accordingly considered himself
justified In attacking the steamship
without delay and sank II.
Should the American Government
give the official data showing that the
Arabia was at the time Of the torpedo
ing an ordinary passenger steamship
the action OF the commander would not
have been In accordance with the in
structlons given him, since these in
structons are now, as before. In agree
ment with the assurance OF the Ger
man note OF May, 1918. This would
be case of n regrettable mistake from
which the German Government would
promptly draw the appropriate conse-
quence.
Secretary Lansing refused to comment
on the note
It's contents have been forecast, and the
main facts therein were chronicled several
days ago when Il had become known that
the note had arrived.
The State Department has said privately
all along that the Arabia was the main
case upon which future German-Amerlcar
relations would probably depend,
II was pointed out that Germany en-
phaslzed the fact that her commander was
still under orders TO follow international
law, as demanded by the United States in
It's Sussex note.