The Sentinel=record., 1917-02-15

Washington. Feb 14-The steady accumulation of violations of Ameri- can rights by Germany made il appear possible today that President Wilson would go before congress to ask au- thority for further protecting lives and property without waiting for serious disaster which might shock the coun. try There are no indications, how ever, that he believed the time for such a step had come and # again was stated authoritively that he would move with full appreciation Of ali the consequences involved.
 Official reports of the sinking of the American schooner Lyman M Law in the Mediterranean by an Austrian sub. marine added only slightly to the ten sion for while the act it belived t0 have been Illegal no lives were lost and the vessel apparently Mas warned The incident was not looked upon as one in itself sufficient to hurry the de. yelopment of the situation
 Preliminary reports began coming tc government departments showing the piling up about the Atlantic sea. board of goods destined for export to European ports
 Preparations by the government for any oventuality still are going TOT. ward Much importance is attached to the work of the Council for National Defense which is holding daily ses- elons
 It was stated today that it was pos sible the government would take no steps toward actually furnishing arms to American ships until the president, If he decides goes before congress.
 While the state department takes the position that the government has the right 10 furnish the guns other questions arise which make the situa- ton more difficult
 The greatest of these k the deter imitation of the president to do noth- ing which might give Germany the excuse in which any trouble Vhich may follow to place the responsibility on the United States.
 Consul TreodWay at Rome today forwarded a dispatch showing that the schooner Law was sunk by an Aus trian submarine without flag, appar- ently by placing bomb aboard after the vessel had been stopped The re- ports indicate that the vessel was il- legally sunk as her cargo of lumber is not contraband by this government and that the recognized rule of the sea that a war craft must show its flag before taking hostile actions was violated.
 Most serious of the aspects of the case is the statement that the sub marine was Austrian. In replying to the queries that will be sent to Nien- na as to the facts of the sinking it is thought more than probable that Aus trta may make some statement which will precipitate the expected break with that country
 The question of the armament of American merchantmen semed to he temporarily disposed of today by the official statement that there were no guns in the country to be had by ship owners unless the government provid- cd them and the strong intima ion that the president expects to go before con gress again before committing the gov ernment to the policy of furnishing arms
 Exclusive of the seventy-two Var rowdale prisoners it is thought tho number of native Americans in Ger many has fallen since the break from about 500 to less than 250 with per haps another fifty in Austria. The exact number of native Americans m Bulgaria and Turkey who probably cannot be reached in any circum' stances is unknown.
 Another inquiry was sent to Turkey today asking Ambassador Elkus Why he had not been able 10 report to the department as to the condition of the enc thousand Americans naturalized and others marooned in Syria and as to whether Turkey plans 10 carry oni