The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1941-06-12
U-BOat

Continued from Page ~
appeared before reporters and
read the brief statement.
NO CON1RADAND
He added that the Robin
Moor's cargo contained no i'm
plements of war OF other mill
tary materials inconsistent with
the neutrality act.
The general cargo, Welles said.
consisted Of m " types Of goods
from steel rails to won.en's hos
iery and including automobiles,
automobile rarts, radio parts and
numerous other items.
Welles said the cargo was, con-
signed to Lorenzo Marques, POI
Elizabeth. Capetown, Port Natal
and East London.
All Of the ports for which
the ship was headed are In
Portugal and British Africa.
Several days ago Early said
President Roosevelt would pre-
fer that judgment be suspended
on the Robin Moor's fate until
after the facts are established.
Today, after Welles read the
report, Early said:
There no longer seems to
be any reason to reserve judy
ment."
FATE Is CLEAR
Welles refused to indicate
what action the United States
would take.
He said he expected . compre-
hensivs report during the day
and that this would receive the
fullest consideration by the gov
eminent.
When asked whether there
was any indication of q German
warning before the ship was
sunk, he said he could make no
further comment until the full
report was received.
Welles was asked whether the
government on the basis Of the
preliminary report took grave
view" of the incident, but he
again replied that he had no
comment.
COURSE UNKNOWN
With no administration Off.
cial talking fully. 1t was impos-
sible to predict what course the
country would follow. However,
it was recalled that the sinking
of the u. S. steamer William +.
Frye on Feb. %, 1918, by . Ger
man submarine, also in the
South Atlantic, was the first of
the depredations on American
shipping that preceded the coun-
try's entry into the first World
War.
In the World War, the United
States protested many times to
Germany against attacks on both
American ships and British ships
carrying American passengers.
RECALL LUSITANIA
Notable among the latter was
the sinking of the British liner
Lusitania with = loss of ia
American lives. !, 20
Germany's unrestricted sub
marine warfare in the World
War led to q break in diplomatic
relations. the arming Of Ameri-
can merchantmen, and finally
was one of the primary reasons
given for American entrance
into the war.
The 4,999-ton Robin Moor,
carrying eight passengers and q
crew Of 80. sailed from New
York May 8 and was sunk some
600 miles south of the Cape
Verde Islands.
The scene of the sinking, as
given in the consuls report, was
just outside the Pan-American
safety belt established by the
American republics In 1899.
This possibly precludes joint
action by all the American re-
publics in connection with the
sinking.
CONSIDERED GRAVE
Despite the reserve shown by
Welles in making public prelim-
mary details on the first sinking
of an American ship by belliser-
ent torpedo action In the present
war, the gravity with which
the government viewed the Incl
dent was unconcealed in official
quarters.
This was heightened by the
fact that apparently there are
only IL survivors. They were
picked up last week end by the
Brazilian steamer Ozorio from .
lifeboat.
The captain of the Ozorio
previously had reported by ra-
dio to the Associated Press that
survivors said the ship was sunk
by a German submarine.
IDENTITY KNOWN
The consul's statement that
the submarine commander was