Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-01-06

Washing ton, Jan. 4.-Thcre was no les
seuing to the iension in the new submA-
rine crisis to-day with President Wilson'S
return to the White House to take per
sona charge of the situation but there
were marked Indications Of the Presidents
Intention to proceed carefully and delib.
erateY before committing the United
States to the next step in its already
strained relations with the Teutonic pow
erS.
At the state department tho hope was
expressed that there would he opportun.
fly to settle the crisis amCably, and il
was stated that the American govern.
ment believed that Austria's assurance:
I'm the last Ancona note were given in good
faith.
WAS THE PERSIA TORPEDOED?
Two points it was emphasized, must hs
cleared I'D before the next move is made.
II must he established whether the British
liner Persia actually was torpcdoed AMI
II So what was the nationality of the
submarine.
President Wilson's FIRST act ON his re-
turn was to Issue the following state
ment through Secretary TumultN. prom
Using the country action lust as soon
can he learned:
THE President and tho secretary of
state are taking every means possible
to obtain the full facts in this grave
matter and will act Just as soon as the
information is obtained
INFORMATION SOUGHT.
The Presidents second step was to d.
rect Secretary Lansing to gather more
information from the Persia survivors
Tho secretary ordered tic consula AZ
Alexandria, Malta and Cairo to obtain
aftidavis and at once caple summar rios
of their contents. Until that informa-
ton is received or Ambassador pcnficd
reports some result from his inquiry to
the Austrian government, the situation.
far ms can he seen tonight. will he
a. standstill
Meanwhile, however. thcro is discus
sion of What steps the United States
may take to make clear to the central
power hcllgcrcmts as allies the extent
TO which it expects to hold thom rc~pon-
slhlc for submarine operations in viola =
ton Of international law, No they con-
Quoted by Germans, Austrians. Turks or
Bulgars,
.\ustria's plea that she knew nothing
official Of the outcome Of tho submarine
controversy with Germany is recalled by
one set of officials. who favor taking
action which might forcstall similar
plea by the other allies when the United
States has finished with Austria. some
thing definite along that line probably
will he developed soon
1t was disclosed to-day that the Uni
ted States already had delivered 80 the
American diplomatic REPRESENTATIVES, in
Turkey and Bulgaria and to tho Turk
ish aud Bulgarian diplomats here copies
of the submarine CORES 7ondcnco with
Germany. This Is taken as an indication
ithat they will ne kept Informed Of fu-
;tue Developments.
COMMITTEES INFORMED
The latest developments ~ the crjsi,
.for the first time brought tho prcsidcn
into conference with the Ncads Of the
congressional committees which dca
with foreign relations, and discloscd tina
They are to be Informed ~ the comius
steps Appreciation Of thus cours" wa
expressed by senators ana representa-
t'vcs. who all along hay" been Wantin,
10 be taken into the Presidents conf
.donce without the Formally &C rcsolU
tions. 1t was indicated as possible tina
before any drastic step waH taken tn
President might address Congress in per
son. laying before it all tn" fact an
the steps in the long controversy.
Administration leaders were uneasy to
day over the prospect of AN opposite
attack in the Souat" ON the admins'r
ton policy. but that fear was relieve
when the Senate after being in scssio
ten minutes, adjourned in respect to III
memory of the late Justice Lamar. I'll
House showed no uncisinoss and III
day which had begun with forebodiue
passed over without experimenting Whic
tho administration feared might fuIth'
innamc the public mind,
An indication of the administrations il
tcntion to proceed cautiously was SOC
in the indefinite postponcment Of t'
tmorrow's meeting of the Senate forelg
relations COMMITTEES. whcrc the Situate
would have been discussed,
CRISIS REALLY SERIOUS
Back of the determination to he deli
crate. however, officials say there is no II
tention of acting any the less firmly an
promptly If the facts warrant it, I'll
President and all his advisers are repr
scented as realizing to its full extent th'
the submarine controversy, drawn ov'
nearly year with perpleXing and critic
negotiations, often brought to the brea'
ting point, now is at the most critic
stage It ever has assumed and their intcl
ton is that the next step Shall place Il
government in "A position where 1t will