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Show MOST SERIOUS EVENT OF WAR Washington Official Circles Greatly Disturbed Over Lusitania Affair. Washington, May 7 News of the torpcdoeing of the Lusitania struck official Washington like a bomb While disposed to await full details before expressing opinions, all administration admin-istration officials realized the inci dent was probably the most serious Washington has faced since the beginning be-ginning of the war Officials did not believe there would be complications, however, unless un-less American lives were lost. A few days ago American officials heard private from personal sources that Germany intended to destroy the Lusitania at the first opportunity to terrorize British shipping and restrict ocean commerce with the allies. Il was taken for granted by officials offi-cials here that if there existed a plan in the German admiralty to torpedo the Lusitania, every precaution had been suggested to the German government govern-ment to Insure the safety of the passengers pas-sengers Should any Americans lop. their lives, the case would he cov ered. officials thought, by the wan. ing to Germany that she would be held in that event h the united States "to a strict accountahility." Washington. May 7 President Wil-son Wil-son was Informed of the sinking of the Lusitania and White House officials of-ficials " showed keen anxiety to learn j whether any American lives were i lost No comment was made iurK. .May i . i ne i.unaru liner Lusitania, one of the fastest ships afloat, was torpedoed and Bunk this afternoon off the coast of Ireland, ten mlh b south of Klnsali She had aboard 1 . H passengers She sailed from this port last Saturday, Satur-day, May 1. and carried, in addition to her own large passenger list. 16:! na - i'Iil-i r.-; 1 1 ;i s f e r red i her from I he Anchor liner Cameronia. The news of her sinking was an nouhced by the local offieP 0; t 1 unard line and was bused on cable adi ces received from the home office of the company in Liverpool Three dispatches, received in the order named, were made public by the line, and read as follows- I "We received from the Lands End 'jwirelesi station news of repeated distress dis-tress calls made by the Lusitania asking ask-ing lor assistance at once. Big list. Position ten miles south of Kinsale. Subsequent! received telegram from I I Queenstown 'hat all available craft in the harbor had been dispatched to as- ! j i'.st." The second message to the local of- J flee read . "Queenstown 1 59 p m. About 1 twenty boats of all sorts belonging to our line are In vicinity where Lusitania Lusi-tania sunk bout fifteen other boats are making for sot to render assistance." assist-ance." The third cablegram was dated Liv erpool and read "Following received by admiralty j Galley Heady. 4 26 p m. Several I boats, apparently surivors southeast nine miles Greek steamship proceeding proceed-ing to assist." Dispatches received here Irom London Lon-don Liverpool and Queenstown confirmed con-firmed the npvs One of Hie messages mes-sages said it was believed that all the big liner's nassengers had been saved No defmite news as to the fate of the passengers had been received by the Cunard line early this afternoon. J The Cunard 1 ) n announced that it 1 would make public as fast as received j all dispatches on the sinking of the Lusitania. including those relating to the fate of the passengers. The stock market was stunned by the news torrent of selling orders or-ders poured in from every section of the 1 onntrv A period of intense ex-citemenl ex-citemenl followed Prices In war specialties broke fifteen fif-teen to thirty points within an hour Stable Issues -lumped five to ten point s Late today the Cunard officials received re-ceived a dispatch from Queenstown stating Hist a large steamer and many smaller vessels and boats were in the vicinity rendering assistance. Then follows : "Large steamer just arrived in vicinity. vi-cinity. Apparently rendering assistance. assist-ance. Tucs. patrols, etc , now on the spot taking boats in tow Motor fluh-inr. fluh-inr. boats With two Lusitania boats bearing by for Kinsale This information came from Cld Head Queenstown. The news struck official Washington Washing-ton like a bomb Administration of-ficials, of-ficials, it was said, realized that the Incident was probably the most serious seri-ous faced bj the government since the beginning of the war. President Wll-j Wll-j son was Informed of the sinking of I the liner and White House officials J while refraining from commenting, were keenly anxious to learn if any American lives had been lost. |