The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-02-08
U. S. CONVOY OF
SHIPS REFUSED
lansing Makes 1t Plain
American Vessels May
Arm for Defence.
TWO BIG LINERS HELD
Sailings Of st. Louis and St.
Paul Postponed Again
Pending DecisiOn,
TWO BIG LINERS HELD

The State Department has notified Of
ficials Of the American Line and all
American ship owners that merchant
vessels flying the Stars and Stripes may
arm to fight of submarines.
President p. A. S. Franklin of the
International Mercantile Marine, which
| controls the American Line. Is expected
| to announce to-day his decision whether
the steamship st. Louis and other ships
of the line shall mount guns.
Meanwhile and until the officials Of
the American Line decide whether II Is
| their duty to provide their own guns and
gunners In the absence OF protection by
United States warships. the st. Louis
and ST. Paul. now In this port, will not
sail. An announcement was made by
President Franklin last night that the
sailings OF these ships has been in
definitely postponed.
The notification OF their right to arm
! came to the lire at =. NJ. yesterday in
! the form Of telegram from Secretary
Of state Lansing. The telegram avoided
mention OF the Governments refusal to
provide navy conveys. but the line Of
ficlals were aware, after telephone conf
munication. that warship protection had
been refused.
LansinG's Telegram.
Secretary Lansing's telegram was as
follows:
.'The Government cannot give advice
to private persons as to whether or not
their merchant vessels should sail on
xr they
kApe&,sk be compelled to pass through
waters delimited in the declaration
, issued by the German Government on
January 81, 1917.
"It, however, asserts that the rights
| of American vessels to traverse all parts
| of the high seas are the same now as
, they were prior to the issuance OF tne
, German declaration. and that a neutra'
! merchant vessel may. IL its owners De-
lieve 1t ls liable to be unlawfully at
| tackled. take any necessary measures to
! prevent or resist such attacks.
! The line Is determined to send out the
! steamship St. Louis. although the ques-
/ ton Of arming her may delay her depar-
/ ture for several days. There are various
! reasons for their belief that the ship
should sail. German submarines or no
| In the first place. the line Is under con-
| tract with the Post Office Department To
I I oSN'''N
place. there are fifty-two first cabin pas
sengers alone who demand the fulnlmen'
of the contract the line made with them
when money for tickets was accepted
Two passengers were gained yesterday
before the notice to discontinue bookings
WAS sent out Originally 11U persons
were booked for the first cabin, but
many, who had no real business in Eu'
rope, decided they might as well post
pone sailing. The ffty-two who remain
I insist that they have real business ano
won't take back their ticket money.
It is understood President Franklin
and the American Line officials spen
days in trying to get the Government tc
reach some definite course OF policy. but
that all appeals and arguments were
fruitless until late yesterday when th'
message came that American vessels hat
as much right upon the seas OF they
were pleased to exercise it, as they evel
had. and that they could arm II theii
owners felt like arming them. To say
the message was disappointing 10 thu
| American ship owners liz putting The
matter lightly. They were more thar
disappointed. They were chagrined. Sn'
official said il amounted to shifting the
| responsibility
Ryndsm Turns Back.
President Franklin and his associate
conferred until n late hour last nigh
over the arming question without reach
ing q decision. The question will b,
taken up again this morning. and tn,
matter may then be threshed out.
Word came to the line last night tina
the steamship Ryndam. which sale,
January 20 from this port for Falmou.l
and Rotterdam. has turned back. Gen
eral Agent Van Doom OF the Holland
America Line announced last night tina
he had received cablegram from tn
home office saying the Ryndam had beef
ordered by wireless to put back to New
York, presumably because of the DANCE
from submarines Surprise was ex
pressed by steamship men that the line
should turn back after approaching q
near to her destination. The surmis
was expressed that Holland may be oi
the point OF severing relations with Ger
many. otherwise II was not conceivabl
why an order so remarkable AS that ap
plying to the Ryndam should be made.
The American Lines decision to re
fuse new bookings was announced In tn
following statement:
I'VE have directed all Of our out O
town agents and correspondents to boo
no more passengers for our vessels unit
! We have an opportunity to consider tn
sailing dates made necessary by tn
present situation.
1--WE are informing our agents tina
the White Star steamships are sailin
regularly and are carrying passenger
and that they are afforded protection b
the British Government when In water
adjacent to Great Britain
A cable despatch from London state
that bookings for the steamships Phila
: delphia and Finland have already hoe
accepted Tho Philadelphia Is sched
uled to sail from Liverpool on Febru
, AIRY 10 and the Finland on February /.
both for New York. IL was stated Q
the American Line Office here that III
, American liner New York. which lei
Liverpool on Saturday. was all right o
! Monday night. when Capt. Roberts ser
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