Arizona republican., 1917-02-08
CALIFORNIA SUNK
WITHOUT WARNING
SAYS u. S. CONSUL
Continued from Page one)

The consul's first report said there |
was lone death and thirty hospital |
cases." among the more than 200 people |
on board the liner. The second added i
no information concerning casualties |
except that the survivors were landed |
at Queenstown tonight among them |
being John A. Lee, of Montgomery, |
Ala, the only American known to have
been aboard, and that some were still |
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 pas
Senger list made public at New York.
The fact, that the American escaped |
lessened in a degree the excitement |
created by the news but only in a de- |
gree
More than a score of merchant craft |
have been sent to the bottom in the |
war zone within the past "a houS and |
fifty or more since the German proc |
lamation of ruthless warfare on the |
seas went into effect last Thursday !
1t is realized that if no citizen of the |
United States was among the victims |
it merely was a fortunate accident and |
that it can be only matter of hours, |
before Americans are caught in such |
wholesale destruction
The California, which was bound |
from New York for Glasgow, is the |
first big passenger steamer to be de- |
stroyed since the Arabia was torpedOed |
in the Mediterranean months ago Her |,
sinking has about swept away the last |
lingering hope here that Germany after |
all would permit passenger carriers to |
escape in an effort to avoid driving the |
United States to hostilities
The message from Consul Frost came |
at the close of another day devoted to |
energetic preparations for the war re-
garded as virtually inevitable and to
guarding against any act by the United
States which might precipitate hos
tilities.
The most important step taken dur
ing the day was the sending of tele-
grams by Secretary Lansing formally
notifying American ship owners that
the state department could not advise
them as TO whether their vessels should
sail on voyages throughout the war
zone, but at the same time stating that
the rights of American vessels to trav-
erse all parts of 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 prevent or resent attack
if it beievts it is liable to be attacked
unlawfully.
This in effect informed American
owners that they are at liberty to arm
their ships if they desire and send them
to sea prepared to resist German ag-
gression. The text of Mr.. Lansing's
message was not made public here for
the reason it was officially explained,
that it was sent in response to in
quiries and the government desired to
avoid any formal announcement on the
subject
Formal endorsement of the breaking
off of relations with Germany was
given by the senate after a five hour
debate on Senator Stones resolution
expressing approval of President Will
sons action. The resolution was adopt
ed by vote of rs TO 5, two Democrats
and three Republicans who made the
ngnt against it standing alone in OPP
position when the roll was called
With the California the immediate
issue, officials were deeply impressed
by the complete thoroughness of the
German undersea campaign and its
promise, on the figures of the last two
days, of carrying out Germany's threat
TO Isolate England completely. Lloyd's
reports received here show total of
9b'oOo tons for two days, or destruction
at the rate of $4,000 a month.
German naval experts have said it
would be necessary to cut off 900 600
tons a month to completely isolate
England If the present rate of $500
destroyed is maintained, it is sug-
gested that the balance viii be more
than made up by the enormous amount
OF neutral shipping held in port by the
various neutral governments and pri-
vate shippers.
Hereafter the government will seek
to have kept secret the fact Of depart
ure of vessels for the war zone in or
DER not to invite unnecessary risks.
me treasury department has previous
Iy issued strict instructins AGAINST the
publication of manifests, and every eff
fort VIII be made from now on to allow
as little information as possible to find
its way to German submarine COM
manders.
The statement to shippers was sent
today to all who had previously re-
quested ruling by the department and
included both freight and passenger
carrying vessels. Among others it went
to the Standard Oil company, whose
officers had ordered all their huge oil
carrying fleet to hold to port Whether
the implied invitation given shippers to
arm If they see fit will cause that pol
icy to be adopted is unknown. but in
formation at the navy department
shows that guns are available in prac-
tically all navy yards and that gunners
could be quickly provided
Passengers who intend to sail to Eu-
rope are referred by the state depart
ment TO the officials Of the lines on
which they are to sail, on the basis
tlat such officials can, if they wish,
show them the opinion rendered by the
o department as to their right to sail
and explain to them any measures that
may have been taken for safety 1t is
understood from this that the depart
ment VIII issue no further statement
The Austrian situation seemed more
hopeless today than at any time since
the German declaration Charge
ZWledlnek called at the department but