The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-15
Crew Escapes and Is Safely
Landed-Details L acking AS
10 Manner of Attack.
ANOTHER INQUIRY AS TO
MEN HELD PRISONERS
United States Prepares to Make
Peremptory Demand for Re-
lease of Men Taken to Ger
many on Yarrowdale.
ny Il. X. SARTWELI.,
international News Service STAFF
torresnoudent

Correspondents
Washington. Feb. 1.-THE destr,e-
tion Of the American schooner LYMAN
NJ. Law By an Austrian submarine 4,
the Mediterranean sea tonight bronoht
TO a crisis the tense relations between
the United States and Austria FOL.
lowing Austrfa's endorsement. nf tha
ruthless" submarine warfara de.t,ra
tion Of Germany. the SINKING Of tba
Law was looked upon here tonipht a.
the proba Bile cans. of 81 braa1 H. -
diplomatic relations between wasbing-
ton and Vienna According IN .rsnnrf.
from srrs1rt=t; er1rr;7, ,f,r-rr,r4 v-rffz2,--
Rome to the state Department the
Law was SET 6r. h., honh@ mn
aboard the American shin INV. an Ans
trian submarine wtthout aae
Decline 90 Discuss sttv,tto,
Both ia. White Honse ana mo st,+a
department declined Ia disc,ies tba a.
trian situation tonight althoupb II co.'s
admitted i'm official circles tbat tho ra-
latfnns between the two co,,nt,ioo VEN
NOT al present ranabIa ~ q,st,t,+,,v
any great strain Consn1.cane,.,l
Treadwen was ordered To make full,
and complete renort an The i,riaen+ ar
once narfirutarIy aa ia vhathar tb
Law was warned The fact that she
wac set afro NV q hoo,b r.th,r th,,
tornado e a at
she MAJ have been warned rhs 49,
mort THAI nor entire crew was saved
was likewise accented Nc nattia,iva
Va 8cnl, az +, Y,rroxxa.,
The safety of American c4tizans in
tbe TeutnDfc countries aud in Tn,.l,sy.
tonight caused tho administration sart-
Gus concern No renly was received To
tho inquiry directed tn Gerrp.nt.
through the Swiss minister as to the
fate Of the American Yarrowdale pris-
oners II was accented az certain to-
night. that unless the reply to this in
ouirv Is satisfactory. tho state depart
ment WIN make A poremptorv demand
for the release Of these citizens Il
was stated tonight that there are hum
dreds of Americans in Germany, Aus
.trja and Rulparia. and nearly a thou-
sand American missionaries in Asia
Minor under Turkish jurisdictions All
of these would be in a precarious sltu-
alton should the dread overt act find
them in an enemy country The state
department today continued It's pres
sure through all channels to assure the
safety of these Americans.
EIkux Heard From.
For the first time since the break N
relations between this country and Ger
many. the state department today heard
from Minister Elkus AZ Constautinople
The subject of tho communication was
not made DubIic. but the. department
said II WAS "rcasSuring" The DEPART
MON, at once drafted instructions TO
Nt,,{ster 1,Il,us "a get tho Americans
ont Of Turkey as rapidly as possible
The collier Caesar and the cruiser pes
NIoincs are in Turkish waters waiting
IA ta1sc off those refugees. who have
besn concentrated at detention camps
tbo raleaee. Of the Americans however
rns,,lted in the holding of the ships ut
Alexandria. Thev viii he ordered for
,ra ,s soor es Minister Flkus ar
,.,,,,-cs f,r rho releose Of the Ameri-
cams
ps,d. tn ,toup, ,,uns
The concern over the fate of Ameri-
Inns abroad n was stated tonight has
r,d much 70 do with rha DELAY In plac-
Inc. Guns and runners on American
sLi,s u vas stated tonight that the
navy departmcnt has made complete
r.,,,.-a,,,e,ts ror ,,,ourti,,e- guns on the
American vessels even to assigning in
ai,id,,I Guns to NJ the construction
~ ,ha various shfns Mounting the
ar,,.,,or+ vii no matter of little
5o1ay u,heu ~. orders for arrnlrr the
,,.sso,s arc yiven The legality OF
ar,,,i,c shins has likewise been accent
al ~. nra,tIcaTT1s- an nf--hr- presftsen+.s
advisers II has been determined how
.n,nr tbat If an American vessel armed
for defense. should fire upon a subma-
zinc Germany would undoubtedly ac-
oon, tho incident as an .'act OF war"
II 10 nrohahIe therefore that until tina
s,fety Of Americans abroad has been
fnuv assured American ships will not
traverse the war zone armed under
eoverpment authority. But il is like