Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-09
35 KILLED ON VICTIM
OF B0CHE SUBMARINE
Secretary Baker Near Scene OF
Sinkines: U-Boats to Take
Greater Risks to Get
the Transports.

Washington. Sept 9-Thc torpedo
ing of the American troop transport
Mount Vernon, formerly the German
merchant steamship kronprlnzcssin Cecil
il off the coast of France last Thursday
assumed a more serious aspect today
when Vice Admiral Sims cahlcd from
London stating that thirty-five men
of thc crew had been killed by the eX-
pIosion OF the torpedo.
r-poArs TAXING GREATER RISKS.
The fact that the submarine was able
10 deliver a torpedo So effectively as to
cause this toll Of death, when taken IN
association with the warnings cablcd IN
press dispatches from London last nlghl
that German U-boats might he expected
to take greater risks in AN effort 10
sink one or more American troopshlps,
is regarded rs significant.
The announcement made by Secretary
Daniels today, based ON word from Wee
Admiral Sims. said that Senator James
Hamilton Lewis of Illinois was aboard
the Mount Vernon when the torpedo
struck. and was among those reported
safely landed when the Mount Vernon
got back into port.
Secretary OF War Baker could not
have been very far from the zone where
the Mount Vernon was attacked lie
sailed from this side of the Atlantic on
saturday, Aug 81, and formal
announC cment Of his arrival IN
France was authorized by the War
Denartmcnt early tins evening. On
Thursday. when the attack on the
Mount Vernon was made 200 miles from
France. Secretary Baker was probably
drawing very close To that coast on
the troop transport on which he and
his party were travelling.
NEAR RAkER's SHIr.
Whether German submarines had been
secretly warned Of the departure OF Sec
rctarv Baker for France and were
making concerted attack 10 sink the
ship on which he travelled Is. Of course,
wholly matter for speculation. nc
warning cablcd in news dispatches from
London is believed to have been inspired
h\ the attack on the Mount Vernon,
and the Interpretation placed on II here
is that the German Admiralty. driven
to desperation hv demands for CXpla-
nations from the German people as to
why no american conveyed troop trans
ports have been sunk, has embarked on
moro determined campaign against
American troopshipS
coNyoYs LEssER DANGER.
The record to date is the transpor-
tatlon Of 900 900 American officers and
soldiers TO Europe with the loss al sea
Of only POI Of them These 29l were
lost through the sinking Of the British
transports Tuscania and Moldavia, the
former of the northeastern coast q
Ireland and the latter IN the English
Channel Neither OF these transports
was conveyed by American War vessels.
No American transport earring troops
to Franco has vet hccn sunk some
American transports have been sunk
coming back, but they had been used NJ
the supply service.
1t hardly likely that the Mount Yer
non was not under convoy at the tune
the attack was made on that vessel
for the region 200 miles from the French
coast would he in the war zone How
near the torpedo came TO making fatal
bit is evident from the fact { hat il struck
on the starboard side Of the ship and
flooded Nc fire room All thirty
five men Of the crew killed were prob
ably in this fire room at / he tImc The
list shows that thirty were tircmcn,
two cnqnemen, and three water tenders