The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-11-10
ARABIA CASE MAY
REVIVE OLD ISSUE
Ship Was Sunk Without Warning and
Two Persons Lost Their lives.
Two Americans on Board.

Washin gton, Nov. 9.--The State De-
partment received a dispatch today
based on Lloyd's report. stating that
the British Peninsula and Oriental
steamship Arabia was sunk in the
Mediterranean without warning on
November 8. All the passengers were
rescued. but two engineers are miss
ing The Arabia carried armament.
and had two Americans as passen-
gers.
Tension Is high In administration
circles over the rec ent attacks by
submarines upon merchant vessels,
which In several instances are re-
ported to have been in violation of
Germany's pledge TO the UniteI
States.
The State Department made 1t plain
today that this government will hold
Germany to a strict accountability
for attacks without warning upon
armed merchantmen with Americans
on board II conclusive evidence of
such attacks Is obtained. 1t was de-
clarsd authoritatively that Germany
pledge to the United States covered
armed as well as unarmed merchant
ships.
Both the British steamer Marina.
which had on hoard several Ameri-
cans six OF whom persisted. and the
Arabia. which carried two Americans.
who were rescued, were armed.
Both were reported to have been at
tackled without warning.
I Germany has declared armed mer-
chantmen to be war vessels, Holland
also refusing to admit them into her
ports and classifying them as belong
ing to the category OF ships of force.
The United States. however. main
tains that such vessels are peaceable
merchantmen, although each case Is
TO be decided on It's own merits.
Previously to taking this stand. the
State Department had urged that
tionality should be prohibited from
carrying any armament whatever"
Like Persia Case.
The case of the Arabia resembles in
many particulars that OF the Persia.
also of the Peninsula and Oriental
Line. except that an American consul
lost hts life on the latter ship. Both
were attacked by submarines In the
Mediterranean In the case OF the
Persia, this government sent inquiries
to both Berlin and Vienna. but neither
Germany nor Austria would Aeknowl-
edge responsibility for the attack. 1t
was never established beyond doubt
that the Persia was torpedosd, al
IHGuHU pASSehHcTS SiAtih0o " NAV .
seen the wake of q torpedo. II was
pointed out at the state Department
that 1t would have been diffcult to
see a torpedo's wake. the inference be-
ing that the ship may have struck a
mine.
The nationality OF the submarine
which attacked the Arabia has not
been reported. and 1t Is possible mys-
terry wifi shroud II. as In tho destruc-
tion of the Persia
1t was indicated at the State De-
partment that inquiries would be In
stituted into the reported attacks upon
the American Hawaiian steamship Co
lumbar. which sent out wireless calls
while being sheiled by a submarine.
and the Philippine liner Lanao. which
was sunk. supposedly. by subma-
rine In these cases, however. as pro-
vision appears to have been made for
the safety of passengers and crew. the
question may resolve itself. 1t was
said, into one Of indemnity.
The State Department has received
no response to its request to Berlin
for information concerning the activi-
ties Of the U-53 off Nantucket. The
information desired IL believed to re-
late to the attack on the passenger
ship Stephano. and would be reported
from tho commander Of the U-Ss.