Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-03-02
PeriSheS When French Liner
is Sunk UnWarnGd.
PROBABLY ON A TRANSPORT
Robert A. Holden Killed When Athos
Is Destroyed by Unidentified Subma
rine in Mediterranean.

Robert Allen Haden, an Amer
can Presbyterian missionary sta
toned at 500 Chow, China, Eer.
ished when the French passenger
steamship Athos was destroyed with.
out warning by submarine, 210 miles
east of Malta, in the Mediterranean,
February II.
Keblinger, the American consul OF
Malta, cabled report of Haden's
death to the state department, and
said the missionary's address was
given as in care of the Presbyterian
Mission Board, at Nashville.
A later despatch from Keblinger
said the Athos was carrying troops:
and may have been a transport. No
step can be taken until this fact is
definitely determined. In such case
this government probably would have
no cause for action.
Tie second despatch said Haden
was drowned while going back to the
ship to assist other persons, and that
the submarine showed neither flag ncr
number by which she might be iden
titled
The consuls dispatches make the
first mention received of the sinking
Of the Athcs. They gave no details
as to other loss of life, how the ship
was destroyed, whether she was wan.
ed or how the American was killed.
Information is being sought officially
to determine the Importance of the
case in relation to the tense situations
between the United States and the
central powers.
Arbitration of the case of the Ameri.
can sailing ship, William P. Frye, de-
stroyed by the German commerce
raider Prince Eitel Friedrich, now is
considered out Of the question, it was
said at the state department, because
of other sinkings of American ships.
The United States, 1t was said, had
agreed to arbitrate the Frye case on
condition that no more American
ships, whether carrying full contra
band or only conditional contraband.
were to be sunk. This condition is
held to have been violated by Ger.
many's recent submarine operat' 'ons
and the Frye case will have to await
the development of the general situa.
tion between the two countries.
A strong reminder is said to have
been unofficia1ly communicated to this
government through neutral source
that Germany views with disaDproval
the efforts of the United States to
isolate Austria-Hungary from the al.
Hance of the central powers.
Through the same source the gov.
crnment has been advised that Ger.
many is manifesting keen interest In
plans now in process of development
in this country to prepare for any
eventua!ity that the execution of the
threat and warning may involve.
It is the official German view that
the United States means to test the
value of the German submarine de.
cree by countenancing the arming OF
american pdSSGuSeI dlu Cal 81 S.i ips
and encouraging the owners and com
-manders to disregard the structures
prescribed in the "barred zone" de-
cree.
The efforts of the United States td
obtain from Austria a renewal OF
pledges given in the Ancona and Per
sia cases is regarded, according to au
thentic information, as "distinctl,
unnfriendly act" by this government.
Thas this view does prevail at Ber :
is indicated by the reports to Euro
pean ambassadors that Germany is
determined to tighten the screws or
her most important ally and compel
it's complete compliance with the
terms of the barred. zone" decree.
With this knowledge at hand, the
policy to be followed by the Unitei
States In relation to Austria is virtu
ally determined The complete sev
erence of relations between 1t and
Austria-Hungary seems merely mat
ter of DAYS.