The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-02-08

Late in the afternoon, he had been In.
formed of IL message OF Consai Frost
telling him Of the sinking of the Cali
fornia. but giving no details as to
warning or the presence o, Americans.
Await Full Report.
The president undoubtedly Will
wait for complete reports on the dis
aster before determining whether tho
time has come for him to go to con-
gress to ask authority ITO use any
means that may be necessary for the
protection of our seamen and our
people"
The consul's first report said there
WAS zone death and 80 hospital cases.
among more than 200 people aboard
the liner The second added no infor-
nation concerning casualties except
that the survivors were landed at
Queens own tonight, among them be-
Ing John A. Lee, of Montgomery. Ala.
the only American known to have been
aboard and that some still were miss
ing, including two women and several
been a member of the crew as his
name does not appear on the pas
senger list made public at New York.
Fortunate Accident.
The fact that the American escaped
lessened to n degree the excitement
created by tho news, but only In u
degree. More than Il score of merchant
| craft have been sent TO the bottom In
| and so or more since the German proc
lamation of ruthless warfare Ca tho
! seas went into effect last Thursday. It
is realized that IL no citizen OF tho
| United States was among tho victims.
IL merely was a fortunate accident and
that IL can be only n matter of hours
| before Americans are caught in such
wholesale destructiom
The California. which was bound
from New York for Glasgow, Is tho
| first big passenger steamer to bo de-
stroyed since the Arabia WAS torpe-
doed in the Mediterranean months
ago. Her sinking has about swept
|
Germany after all would permit pas
senscr carriers to escape In an ef-
fort TO avoid driving tho United
States to hostilities.
| Tho message from Consul Frost
came at the close of another day de-
voted to energetic preparations for war
regarded as virtually inevitable and
to guarding against any act by this
United States which might procipitate
hostlitics.
vssscls May Arm.
| The most important steps taken dur
Ing the day was the sending of tele-
grams by Secretary Lansing formally
notifying American ship owners that
tho state department could not advise
them as the whether their yesseh
should sail on voyages through the wal
zone. but at the same time stating thal
the rights of American vessels to trav
erse all parts of the high seas and th'
of the German declaration and that {
same as they were prior to the issuanc,
neutral vessel may take any necessar!
measures To prevent or resist attack i
rit believes it is liable to be attacke,
| unlawfully.
This Ia effect informed Americal
owners that they are at liberty to aru
their ships If they desire and send Their
to sea prepared to resist German ag
gresson. The text Of Mr.. Lansing
message was not made public here 10
the reason, II was officially explained
that it was sent in response to in
quires and the government desired I
avoid making IL formal announcement
on the subject.
With the California, the immediat
issue, officials were deeply impresse
by the complete thoroughness of tn
- CONTINUED on Page Eighth