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Show SERiOUSASPEGT 1 SEEN IN ANSWER 01 HM CASE lj Germany's Admission of j Sinking British Liner Without Warning Raises 1 Grave Question. j IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NOT EXPECTED A President Wilson Personally Investigating Recent German Ger-man Submarine Activities. Ac-tivities. WASHINGTON, Dee. 7. Germany 'a acceptance of responsibility i'or the sinking without warning oi: tho British j liner Arabia, with the explanation that her submarine commander took the ves-l sel for an auxiliary war ship, has j brought (he issue over submarine warfare war-fare to a more serious and clear-cut basis tli an anything that has happened since the threat of the United States last April to' break diplomatic relations after t lie torpedoing or the channel liner Sussex. Such in formation as tho American government now has tends to show that the Arabia was a passenger ship of the Peninsular and Oriental line, passing through the Mediterranean on a regular voyage. Among the passengers was an American citizen, who was rescued. The German note, made public today "by the state department, says if official offi-cial data is furnished showing that the vessel was an ordinary passenger steamer, steam-er, "this then would be a case of regrettable re-grettable mislake from which the German Ger-man government would promptly draw the appropriate consequences. ' ; It is assu rued here that the consequences j would be an expression of regret and 1 an offer of reparation for any injury ; or danger suffered by the American on board. Referred to Wilson. The note has been referred to President Pres-ident Wilson, who is considering personally per-sonally a review of recent German submarine sub-marine ai. livities, to which the Arabia (ase comes as a climax. There probably will be no immediate action, as the state department first must clear up be-c4 be-c4 yond question the exact status of the S liner at. the time of the attack. Then f' it will be for the president to decide the course to be followed. In official quarters the German explanation explana-tion is refia rded as weak anil unsatisfactory, unsatisfac-tory, no weieht beinjj attached to the statement that the Arabia was painted like a transport and was following a route ns'ially taken by transports and that the submarine commander saw many Chinese, but no women and children, aboard her. One Course Open. N It Ir realized, however, that If official data finally establishes the innocent character of the vessel, in view of the Sussex note virtually only one course of action remains open to the United Slates, and that would not be taken until every possible consideration had been given Germany's position. While Secretary Lanslncr refused all comment today beyond the publication of the note, it is known authoritatively that Germany's admission in the Arabia case, her similar admission In the Marina case, when six Americans were drowned, and t he early facts in the sinking pf the American steamer Chemung, have combined com-bined to create much anxiety. The temporary tem-porary quietude in submarine operations which followed the pledges in the Sussex case apparently has been dispelled and offi'-lals arc recalling the belief then announced an-nounced that submarine warfare is "utterly "ut-terly incom pa tibia witli the principles of humanity, t he lonR-established and incontrovertible in-controvertible rights of neutrals, and the sacred immunities of non-combatants." |