The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-02-08
CALF F0RN|A' s
SINKING MAY
MEAN VIARFA ARE
PRESIDENT TO WAIT
FOR COMPLETE REPORT
Presence of American on the
Liner May Make the
Sinking Overt.


steady stream Of reports telling
of the destruction Of merchant
ships by. German submarines was
brought to a climax tonight by a
cablegram to the state department
from Consul Frost at Queenstown
announcing that the British pas
seneer liner California had been
torpedoed without warning, and
that an American citizen was
among the survivors.
Whether this will prove to be
the overt act to drive the United
States into war no one would at
tempt to say tonight. President
Wilson who must make the de-
cislon, had retired when the news
came and officials did not wake
him, Late in the afternoon he
had been informed Of message
from Consul Frost telling Of the
sinking Of the California but 81
ing no details as to warning or the
presence Of Americans.
The president undoubtedly VIII
wait for complete reports on the
disaster before deter m n n g
whether the time has come tor
him to 90 to congress to ask
authority to "use any means that
may. be necessary for the protec-
tion Of our seamen and our
people,"
The consuI's first report said
there was zone death and thirty
hospital cases" among the more
than 200 people on board the
liner. The second added no in
formation concerning casualties
except that the survivors were
landed at Queenstown tonight
suana- them Being John A. Lee,
N Montgomery, Ala, the only
American known to have been
aboard, and that some still were
missing, including two women and
several children. Lee is supposed
to have been a member Of the crew
as his name does not appear on
the passenger list made public at
New York.
The fact that the American es-
capped lessened in degree the
excitement created by the news,
but only in a degree. More than
a score of merchant craft have
been sent TO the bottom in the
war zone within the past "a hours
and fifty or more since the Ger
man proclamation OF ruthless
warfare on the seas went into
effect last Thursday. It is real
lied that If no citizen Of the Unit
ed States was among the victims
it merely was a fortunate acci-
dent and that it can he only a
matter OF hours before Amerl-
cans are caught In such whole.
sale destruction.
The California which was
bound from New York for Glas-
gov, is the first big passenger
steamer to be destroyed since
the Arabia was torpedoed in the
Mediterranean months ago. Her
sinking has about swpt away tn
last lingering hope here that Ger
many after all would permit pas
senger carriers to escape IN an
effort to avoid driving the Unit
ed States TO hostilities.
The message from the Consul
Frost came at the close Of an
other day.; devoted TO energetic
preparatioinS for the war regard
ed as virtually inevitable, und
to guarding against any act by
the United States. which might
precipitate hostilities.
The most important step taken
during the day was the sending
OF kilograms by Secretary Lans-
ing formally notifying American
ship owners that the State De.
partment could not advise them
as to whether their vessels should
sail on voyages through the war
zone, but at the same time stat
ing that the rights Of American
vessels to traverse all parts or
the high seas are the same as
they were prior to the issuance
of the German declaration and
that a neutral vessel may take
any necessary measures to pre-
vent or resent attack if 1t is liable
10 be attacked unlawfully.
This in effect informed Amer
lean owners that they are at
liberty to arm their ships If they
desire and send them to sea pre-
pared TO resist German aggres-
sion. The text of MIR. Lansing,,s
message was not made public
here for the reason. il was offic-
tally explained. that it was sent
in response 10 oinNuirles. ana
the government desired To aviod
making a formal announcement