Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-31
Marina Not Under
 Charter to British
STEAMER WAS ENGAGED IN REG- ULAR TRADE AS A BRIGHTER
HAD HORSES FOR ALLIES
Seventy of Crew of 104 Are Missing Many of the Men Were Americans Much Depends Upon Whether Ship Was Torepdoed Without Warning.

Washington, Oct. 3o.-Preliminary reports of the sinking by German sub marines of the British steamers Marina and Rowanmore, partly manned by Americans, were too incomplete to- night to enable officials at 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 comment further
 than to admit that the reports appear
 ed more serious than the usual routine
 despatches announcing the destruction
 of belligerent merchantmen and that full information would be awaited with
 interest.
 Present Situation Grave. On it's 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 a break.
 Although he cautioned that his infor- nation was purely provisional" the consul cabled that the Marina, a
 "horse transport, with a mixed crew of British and Americans" was re- ported sunk without warning by Ger man submarine guntlre, 100 miles west of Cape Clear, and that 70 of the crew of 1O4 were missing. Press despatches have indicated that the missing men might reach shore in their boats later.
 Another message from MT. Frost said members of the crew of the Rowan
 more, including Americans, had been shelled in their boats while abandoning the ship after being chased by a sub | marine for 50 minutes. There were no casualties.
 Not Under Charter to British. According to the agents in this coun- | try of the Marina's owners, the Don- aldson line, the vessel, with some 5o American horse tenders aboard, was
 not under charter to the British gov ] ernment as g transport, but was en-
 gagged in her regular trade as. a freighter and carried horses for the | entente allies as a part of her general
 cargo. Under such circumstances she would be entitled to all the immunities 1 Of any other belIigerent owned mer-
 chantInan, and an enemy destroying | her and her contraband cargo would 1 be required to make due provision for 1 the safety of the ships company unless
 she was sunk In the act of attempting | to escape.
 Apparently all depends upon the ac- i curacy of the first reports; whether l the Marina actually was attacked without warning or whether she is to | be recorded as orly another of the 1 scores of British carriers that have | gone to the bottom as the result of ] their shippers desperate efforts to out
 run enemy shells.
 Awaiting Report from Consul Frost. | Until a full report has come from 1 Consul Frost, no step will be taken by
 the state department. Frost is re-
 garded as thorough investigator and
 has played a part in determinating
 the facts in many of the most irupor- l tant submarine incidents, including the l destruction of the Lus1tania. Affdav- it's of American survivors are expected from him within a day or two.
 State Department Officials Optimistic Most of the officials of the depart
 ment are inclined to be very optimis- ((Continued on Page Eight)