The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-03-29

~ nottom Oh Loss Of Sus-
~" '''S1 -''s -sA''1'sn' A.
| -
washington March 26.--Official in
formation upon which President vii.
son will decide whether tbe s,nk,rr ~
the steamship Englisbman ana tha
damaging by an explosion of the chan.
mel steamer Sussex were the result
| Of acts In violation of interra
tionai law is being gathered from
every available source by consular rep.
resentatives Of the United States In
england and France. Tangible evi.
ldence Of some kind was momentarily
expected tonight by the state depart
ment.
dispatches already received indicate
tnat several Americans were injured
or killed IN the Sussex disaster. Four
ner,cen cunzens who were aboard
.ne Ensusnman and who were said
- usp~es ., yesterday not to be
.".''.s. 'ne rescued SUI are unac-
counted Tor.
my one dispatch OF Importance
~ 49, sne eAplosion which dam
~ s"e oslssex was received by the
se uepartment curing tho day. This
49,. :. =. sav'' naoe IN Lon
xrs,.scs - sn' an u.,ss,I empassy oy two
,s,, M svo I1waro >. Hux-
yo-s po.h .sv =. Iake OF New
c,s,',,s .nat the explosion
49," w..nout .ne snsntesr warn
~nu .ney credited tne command
ol ene sussex as saying that he saw
-. o ,'", mc u torpedo Deiore II struck
ms vesseI.
Another statement IN the afiidavit
vniciais seemed to consider significant
had TO do with q strange sailing ves-
sei which hovcred near the Sussex
after the explosion and which. in re-
sponse to signals for assistance from
the channel steamer sailed away and
diappoared. Press dispatches. quoting
= Belgian army ofYicer as saying that
the submarine probably had hidden
behind the strange vessel, which ap-
|parently disi'egarded all the traditions
and laws OF the sea In failing to succor
La vessel In distress. were read with
INTEREST,
Prof. j. Mark Baldwin Of Baltimore
and hts wife and daughter, reported
In press dispatches as being missing
= -~-S~sS SNs w "a y uOCl0I0O u OG 08I0
In q cablegr,am dated today In Bou-
logne received here tonight from Prof.
Baldwin by ]. A: Sterrett, a son-in-
law: Mr.. Stsrrett. however, accepted
- true press and official state de-
partment diipatches containing infor-
nation that Miss Baldwin had been
seriously injured. He has cabled TO
his father-in-law for additional In
formation. f6
Information regarding the susstx
which had been received tonight did
'not high administration ON ials said.
convince them that the vessel was the
v1cum OF . submarine attack. One
naem1er OF the cabinet who discussed
the situation with the president said
tpat the reports 1T hand were by no
meaps ctIncllsive. -. "
Tne udus..!strauon. while ..fulfy
reaiizins the possibilities Of the situa-
ton should the. Indications In prebs
dispatches be borne out In the ofil-
cial reports. will take no decisive at.-
ton unless positive proof Is forthconl-
Ing. The course Of the United States
will be decided upon official reports
from its own officers.
80 ~~e~> Sss4AOb SlO 0uSS0A VI Tee
EnglishmAn have been torpedoed tie
United States would consider the act
10 be . most nagrant violation of the
rights Of humanity, the principles t,f
international law and the broad All
surances regarding the conduct of
submarine warfare which have been,
given by the German government.
There II no evidence. or even q sua,-
gestion, that either Of the ships was
armed 20 no defense could be offered
on that score.
I'm this connection n "a nrohab,o
that the United states wiu NOT ,ss,c
for the benefit Of the Euronear hal
Iigerents tho statement of its nos,tion
regarding submarines and armed
ships until after the facts regarding
the EnClishraan and tho Sussex are
known. 1t had been planning To issue
the statement some time in the near
frttrro 49,