Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-01-03
WASHINGTON STIRRED
BY PERSIA TRAGEDY

Washington, Jan. 2.---Anioty over
the sinking of the British steamship
| Persia increased in official circles
here today when a consular dispatch
! brought the information that the ship
/ had been torpedoed without warning
and that az least ono American citl-
| zen. Robert N. McNeeley now consul
at Alden. Arabia. was missing At tho
same time officials were much graft
fled at the indication, emanating from
Baron Erich Zweidlnek, charge of tho
Austro- Hungarian embassy here, that
the Vienna government would be
quick to satisfactorily adjust" the
matter should 1t develop that an Aus
tran submarine commander had dis
obeyed Instructions In resard TO tor
pedoing passengers carrying ships
without warning
Asks suspension Of Judgment.
Judgment should be withheld
pending receipt of the real facts SUR
rounding the sinking of the steam-
ship Persia, said Baron Zweidinek.
1t may have happened in many ways.
In the first place. II Is not yet proved
that submarine sank the Persia. IL
II was IN Austrian submarine, IL must
be determined whether the ciroum-
stances were such as to warrant the
action taken.
Il am confident, ut least | hope.
that the final explanation will be quite
satisfactory. IL the commander of
the submarine disobeyed his instrue-
tlons | feel sure my government Will
not hesitate to satisfactorily adjust the
matter
Austria VIII Make Amends.
From the answer made to the last
aftta tta 4 "a In q Ia ftfFtf tf.A
evident that the Austro-fungarian
government win not countenance any
act which is wrong
Complete confidence prevails in
Tcutcnic diplomatic circles that If an
Austrian submarine sang the Persia
without warning the act would be dis
nvewed promptly reparatlon made
for Americans lest and the submarine
commander punished.
II tx understood Baron Zweidinek
will call upon Secretary Lansing to-
morrow for the purpose of informally
conveying his views on the subject and
endeaV0rng to gain an understanding
Of the views of the Tilted States for
the Information OF his government.
McNcciy Last Seen In Water.
only one dispatch concerning the
sinking of the Persia was received to-
dav BY tho state department II came
from Consul Carrots az Alexandria.
Egypt. and Indicated that Consul Nc
Nicely, on his way % his post, had
been lost lie was last seen in the
water before the steamship went
down consul Carrots reported also
that Charles Grant of BOSTON, another
American who was on hoard the Per
sia WAS among the survivors. No sub
marine Was seen by the survivors, ae-
rnrding t0 the eonsuis report bur an
officer at the ship sad he saw the
wake Of torpedo The Persia went
down in rFe minnins This dispatch
WIS Immediately Forwarded to presi-
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Lansing Watt lniufmatlon,
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