Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-02-08
Destruction Passenger Ship May Prove "Overt Act"
 to Cause Conflict.
OFFICIALS SEE NO
 HOPE TO KEEP OUT
With Germany Destroying Ships at Rate Oi 2J q Day, Washington Be- lieYcS It Only Matter of Hours
 Before Country Involved.

| Washington, Feb. 7-Thc steady , stream of reports telling of the de 1 struction Of merchant ships by Ger man submarines was brought 10 a 1 climax tonight by a cable to the state department from Consul Frost at Queenstown, announcing that tho British passenger liner California has
 been tOrpedoed without warning, anl that an American citizen was among , the survivors.
 Whether this will prove to be the covert act' to drive the United States into war no one would attempt to say tonight
 President Wilson had retired when the news came, and officials did not
 Waken him. Late in the afternoon he had been informed Of message from Mr. Frost, telling of the sinking. b 1t giving no details as to survivors and | casualties.
 The president undoubtedly will wait Tor complete reports on the disaster | before determining whether the time has come for him to go to congress and ask authority to use any means | that may be necessary for the protec- | ton of our seamen and our rights" The fact that the lone American, | believed to have been a member of
 the crew, had escaped lessened the ! excitement in a degree, but in degree
 only.
 Overt Act Inevitable. More than score of merchant
 craft have been sent to the bottom
 in the war zone in the past 24 hours,
 and 30 or more since the German
 proclamation of ruthless warfare on
 the seas went into effect last Thurs ] day.
 It is realized that if no American 1 citizen was among the victims 1t
 merely was fortunate accident. and
 that it can be only a matter of hours
 before Americans are caught in such wholesale destruction.
 Like the Lusltania. the California, bound from New York for Glasgow.
 IS declared to have been sunk with out warning. She is the first big pas- senger ship to be destroyed since the Arabia was torpedoed in the Medi- terranean months ago. Her sinking
 has about swept away the last finger ing hope here that Germany would permit passenger carriers to escape
 Tn an effort to avoid driving the
 United States into hostilities.
 Including the California, British.
 Italian and Peruvian vessels of
 known tonnage of 22,625 have been sent to the bottom in the last 24 hours by German submarines. In ad- dltlon, one British steamer, the ton- mage of which is not known, and two British steam trawlers and two fish ing boats, have been sunk. The most important step taken to-
 day was the sending of telegrams by Secretary Lansing notifying Ameri-
 can ship owners that the state de- partment could not advise them as to whether their vessels should sail on voyages thru the war zones. but at the same time stating that the rights of American vessels to traverse the high seas are the same as they were
 prior to the issuance of the German
 declaration, and that neutral vessels may take any necessary action to pre- vent or resent attack if they believe
 they are liable to be attacked unlaw-
 fully. This, in effect, informed American owners that they are at lib-
 erty to arm their ships if they desire.
 With the sinking of the California
 the immediate issue, officials were deeply impressed with the complete
 thoroughness of the German under sea campaign, and it promises. on
 the figures of the last two days of carrying out Germany's threat to iso- late England completely. German naval experts have said it would be
 necessary to cut off 100000 tons month to completely isolate England. Lloyd's reports received here show total of 56,600 tons for two days, or destruction of tonnage at the rate of 850,00O month.
 The Austrian situation seemed more hopeless today than at any time since the German declaration. Charge IGonfinaaod an snano ci,z ! -.