Show GOVERNMENT FACING CRITICAL SITUATION SITU A TION Destruction of Liner With Loss of Many any Lives Shocks hocks Washington Officials an and d Causes Profound Grief PR PRESIDENT E S I DE NT MAK MAKES ES NO COMMENT WASHINGTON I May Hay 7 Destruction of the British liner Lusitania with th tho the loss of many lives shocked officials of if- if the United States States' g government govern govern- overn- overn ment and a i t n i grief b rief in the national capital I Although it was not known how many an if any of those lost wore Americans Americans Amer Amer- leans tho the vie w was general that the most serious situation confronted the American government go since the tho outbreak of the war in Europe The warning of the United States that Germany would be held to a strict accountability for the loss of American lives irrespective irrespective- of whether they were aboard belligerent or ol neutral when attacked focused attention on the White House where President Wilson Vilson until late in the ni night ht read the dispatches with grave interest TI The e President ma made madeno c no comment Secretary Bryan Counsellor Lansing senators an anti and members of the House who were in the city waited up until a late hour for definite nc news s of the thc passengers and ero crow v of the sunken ship Earlier in the day they construed the positive announcements from abroad that no lives had bad been lost as IS final but later a advices advice dashed U their hopes To Investigate Carefully Officials sai said facts and circumstances would have to be obtained by careful investigation in during tho next few fe days before any announcements could be made by the American government The disposition among high officials was tas not not to take hasty action but to await the British admiralty's reports report and results of the investigations investigations s of Ambassador Page Although Congress is not in session Chairman Stone of the Senate foreign for for- eign relations committee and other members of the tho committee are arc arenow now in in inthe tho the city It is expected thc they may be consulted hy by President ut Wilson before before be be- fore he decide decided on the tho policy to be he pursued by bythe the United States Repeated Warnings Received Aside from the diplomatic questions In tho case caso which were widely discussed discussed dis dis- I I cussed In Washington tonight the sinking of ot the tho liner brought hl to light an Interesting stor story of or repeated threats and warnings s which had reached reache-d high I officials for tor several days past of or a a. plan b by the German admiralty to sink the tho Lusitania for tho the ps psychological effect It would have e on Great Britain an and the terror It might f spread among ocean ocean travelers generally Information gathered amont officials of the thc government Go and In diplomatic quarters tended to confirm the tho boll belief or that plans for tor the destruction of or tho the Lusitania were made eral several weeks ago First the German embassy was In Instructed Instructed In- In to advertise In tho the leading newspapers of or tho the United States warning passengers against traveling tra on belligerent ships Anonymous warnings then were sent to Individuals who proposed sailing sailing- on the Lusitania Most Mosi significant of oC nIl all were letters received here from officials of- of of officials In Germany by private persons stating that t tho e Lusitania surely surel would be destroyed I Theories As To Explosions j Naval Xa officers hero s said ald tho the Lusitania probably was struck by b more than one torpedo o. o when thc they learned she remained afloat only thirty minutes minutes after after the tho first explosion Tho The ship was so constructed they sa say that except un under er extraordinary conditions a single torpedo could not sink her hor It was nas out however that insl Inside o explosions following the attack might IH have c aided In the work worl of ot destruction as the ship Is understood to have carried a aast vast ast quantity of or war material for tOl tho the allies Including much ammunition ammu ammu- Such explosions might hen have ripped open se several seral ral compartments and so 80 weakened others that they gradually gave way under the pressure of or In In- ru rushing water If It all of tho the passengers and anti crew of ot the ship were removed remo In her boats after alter she bho was vas torpedoed the officers and crew of or the accomplished hed an nn almost Impossible task some officers said sald Tho ship carried tho the full tun complement complement complement com com- of hOI bout both of or tho the regular and nd collapsible typo and of or life rafts required under American navigation na laws A place place for for or every en poison p person aboard tho the ship In lifeboats was assured It Is said and undoubtedly alj an boats were swung out and provisioned as soon as the steamer cleared Now Xo York harbor and remained so all tho the wa way It H was suggested however however- that the UIO tas task of or getting into the boats nearly 2000 persons person many man of or whom hom were women hardly h seemed of ot accomplishment In thirty minutes Vessel Was Well Constructed Of or the construction of tho lost ship of officials recall that at al the time of ot the Titanic disaster on engineers d declared a a. similar accident accident- to the Lusitania would have o left the tho ship afloat an and able attIc to 10 pro proceed un under oJ her hel own steam She was a double skinned vessel with many watertight ht subdivisions of her nold and the win wing bulkhead Installations that gave ve added addell protection The ess vessels vessel's Is I's coal cOI bunkers lay 10 outside those thos bulkheads and It was pointed out that tho the most powerful powerful pow pow- erful torpedo known could not tear open enough compartments to send thu tho ship to tho bottom Navy officers predicted that an effect of the loss of the L would Continued on Page 3 h rF EA AR R FURTHER F UR THER C COMPLICATIONS COMPLICATIONS' CA TI ONS Continued From Pa rage Page e 1 1 be a po popular demand In England for energetic action by the fleet Some orne ome oUI- oUI bt I of ot the tho state department wore were Inclined to credit reports report that a n German Germano bs bao o f t for r submarine raids had hod been established In somo some hidden cove known on onh to the native natho smugglers on the Irish coa coast coant t. t The rhe torpedoing of oC the thc British L r p Audacious off ocr t the Irish coast generally supposed to haen ha havo been en the work of oC a n German numerous raids on smaller craft crat In Ini Inthe i t the S1 mc re region lon and now ow the sinking sinking- of ot tho the huge In n the tIo opinion of oC off f thc these C officials Indicated clearly denny that the German Grman underwater craft were working work work- In ing from some Borne nearby point r Within S Sailing ar al D. D Distance IS t ance I Na Savy ax officials official however did Ud not share haro this view Thc They pointed out that the h Lusitania W was as struck at nt a distance approximately of ot less than 1500 miles from the German Gernian coast This would be easy cruising distance It was said for tor forthe the newest t American submarines Information has hag reached reache the na navy depart depart- I to the effect that German submarines have hae completely compete circumnavigated t the British Isles making voyages of GOOD or miles mUes If It this Is true truo and andreport andt t t- t thc report apparently was accepted at face fue value the underwater tater ambuscade to toI I which tho the fell victim was as comparatively a 0 simple matter I f Germany n Is known to have put In commission a number of ot new ne submarine craft r recently and It was thought by nav navy officials that when tho plan to sink the was wa drawn n up It was as decided to send a dozen or more of or these boats Into the track which the tho liner probably would follow to lie He In wait walt for her Jud Judging b by reports of oC her position at the time o of ot tho attack It was wa said the the Lusitania followed her regular cour course e of f her last voyage oage Some Somo na navy officers thought ht the they saw In Iii the tho warnings published In this country countr before the departure on the tho steamer that she fhe he would be attacked Intimation In- In that the tho ship would be blown from up Inside during durIn her voyage orage othIn In dispatches received today today tended t to confirm this I view o of ot the Incident Xavy a avy department charts show that the waters ot off w where cre the Is report reported cd to havo have sunk are arc comparatively shallow ranging from to 00 O feet In depth at a n distance of nino nine or ten miles mUes from shore This naval na officers said tonight ought aught to tomake tomake make mi possible the recovery of oC valuable property aboard tho ship M MANY MY Y IA MESSAGES From tho the do day the sailed from Sew New York officials here hero have havo re received re- re Inquiries from man many sources al almost almost at- at most dally daily ns ne to the tho s safety of ot the thc ves yes sel set One Ofle official was told with much earl early toda today that this was waa tho the d day selected for tor the destruction of ot the thc vessel The navy radio station at Arlington has been on the alert for news and from time to time timo has been reported as hasing having has hav ing picked up messages saying the vessel yes ves tel set was sunk Inquiry at the na navy nade department department department de de- de- de each elch time failed to confirm the tho r reports ports and they ther were not not circulated circulated because It was feared thc they would spread unnecessary alarm II D OV ox HOARD At tho the German embassy here while no comment was made as to whether It was known there thero that the vessel was to be destroyed It was said the embassy kne knew tho the Lusitania carried arms and ammunition and being being- advised of the thc resolution of ot the German admiralty to attack ships that carried such contraband contraband contra contra- band officials had believed she sho would he lie attacked At the embassy and Imon diplomatists friendly to the thc Germanic Germanic Ger Ger- manic allies there was a general satisfaction satisfaction satis satis- faction action amounting almost to relief hen I reports came that no lives were lo t l. l for tOl It was ur urged ed that the purpose I of f C the German submarine campaign was only to destro destroy British commerce and lOd hIpe but hot ot lives Thero There was a disposition on the part of the Germans to Inquire also whether tho the Lusitania carried an any guns Suns on her decks which might place her in the class of or a warship and make unnecessary unnecessary sary according to tho the laws Jaws of ot International International international inter Inter- national warfare tho the giving of ot a warn warn- ing The rhe officials at the state department said Md tho they had not heard that the Lusi- Lusi parried carried an any guns uns At the British embassy It it was revealed that carry carty In Inthe inthe the war alter after the United States government gov gov- had been consulted on the tho question of or small guns gung for tor the big liners the advice was given shen by the state department and heeded that no guns uns be carried on the decks SILENT The Thc British embassy heard of oC the disaster die dis aster through news dispatches and offered of offered of- of no formal comment though of officials of- of stated the lie attack was absolutely inexcusable and constituted a n most flagrant flagrant fla fla- grant nt violation of oC all the tho rules of oC In International International In- In law Officials of oC the United States government government govern govern- I ment were slow to express any opinion on tho the diplomatic phases of oC the t ter r. r Secretary Bryan said he hc was gratified grat grat- rat rat- at nt hearing reports that no nl lives were lost but declined to comment on the course courso of oC this government There remains little doubt however tonight In well informed quarters here the incident wll become a matter of oC diplomatic diplomatic diplomatic diplo diplo- matic correspondence between the United States government and Germany when complete Information is received irrespective e of whether nn any citizens of the United States lost their lives Ambassador Page Pago reported briefly on the tho sinking of or tho the cs vessel el but official Information as to whether the ship was given Iven warn warning I n- n whether she aho ho was convoyed con con- voyed b by British warships and concerning concerning con con- the extent to which lives es of oC Americans were Jeopardized by the at attack attack at- at tae tack or subjected to tl dangers on the high hish seas sens will bo be sought through the American embassy In London and tho the consulates in Ireland before a n decision Is Ii reached on tho the course to be pursued by the United States R WARNING I G NOTI RECALLED D. D When tho the German admiralty proClaimed proclaimed proclaimed pro pro- claimed tho the waters around Great Britain and Ireland a war zone and warned varned neutral vessels against tho the daners dangers danter dan dan- ter gers ers that lay therein the United States did not admit Germanys Germany's right to place hazards In the theay wa way ay of oC American vessels or lives There was wa no distinction drawn then as to whether the tho representations representations of ot the United States covered cred Americans traveling tra on belligerent or neutral craft but officials informally disclosed later that the note noto had been purposely phrased so BO as to cover both contingencies Tho The language of oC tho the American note was vas everywhere c re recall recalled recalled re- re call called d tonight as a possible Index of the policy to be lie pursued Tho The discus discus- lion Ion at the tho time arose particularly over o the misuse of oC flags b by belligerent yes ves- eels els leis the Lusitania itself having having- flown nfl an American flag nag to escape attack front from German submarines The Fhe United States remonstrated with t Great Britain over such Huch uso use of ot tho the American flag and said at the same lime time In a note to Germany German rIC lf ir the commanders of oC German Germanes yes ves 1 eels sels ls of r war should act the upon pre pre- that tho the flag o of the United States elates was waR not being used in good faith and nd should destroy on the high seas an American vessel or tho lives Ilves of oC AmerIcan Amer Amer- Amerlean ican lean citizens clUzen It would be difficult to yew jew the time act in any other light than as IB an n indefensible violation of oC neutral rights which It would be ver very hard In In- In deed to reconcile with tho the friendly r re- re now happily subsisting subsisting- between l time inc c two governments If ir UI such a d deplorable situation should rise the imperial German government c can n readily appreciate that th the govern govern- went ent of oC the tho United States would be bel Constrained to hold the German l govern ho lent nt to a a. strict accountability for fOI or lot ch h u Bets acts of f c their naval lIa aut authorities and nd f len an any stops steps that might bE be he wiry t u tl take to safeguard American J U n eS and lr property Pc ly and ond to I secure to toof citizens full enjoyments of c ti their ri 1 rigl rights dc on un the time gh h seas Ii r |