Show I SITUATION SITUATIONS IS SERIOUS BELIEF IN WASHINGTON V 0 By CHARLES P. P STEWART W WASHINGTON Aug 21 Continued Continued peace or a a. between between diplomatic break breal possibly war Germany the United States depended tonight on one one question on Could Could and would the German government satisfactorily explain the torpedoing of ot the Arabic with filth the Incidental loss of at least two American American Ameri Ameri- can lives v That the president did n not t deem war wary or even o a break Inevitable though h he did consider con con- sider x the situation very serious was known certaInly Many complicated ts issues ues involving both Germany German Germany Ger Ger- man many and Great Gre-al Britain were at stake The Arabic Arable survivors survivors' stories conflict the Washington administration thinks of ot State Lansing Lansing Lansing Lan Lan- President Wilson and Secretary sing discussed the matter matte at al the White House for tor tormore more than thirty minutes late this afternoon The se secretary questioned after the conference conference confer confer- ence would give no details detail He He admitted however that the disagreement In the given by pers persons ns on the tho torpedoed torpedo d liner figured In the conversation It was was the general opinion that rt really this was wasl the keynote bf ot Conversation nl The he Issue Jw well well l posted d officials pointed out was was capitally Important It promised to give Germany tho deciding vol voice In the controversy If It th the Arabic Arable survivors survivors' versions dUer differed tJ said ald the experts tho adminis administrations l- l tr only pos possibly possible ble COu course was i L to take the German Germao l' l U b p lt k Cpr a word rd Continued on on pat pane page 2 21 I SITUATION SERIOUS Continued from tram page pago 1 According to unofficial l British lIh information in- in I In Information formation not nothing official was yet available available the tho Arabic wn was wa not under convoy it made mado no attempt to ram the thc German submarine and it did not notty try ty to o escape it did not sight the undersea boat either before or ot after the attack so it could have sought Bought neither to run the latter down nor norr nor to flee It t was recognized however that the Washington administration W was S not unqualifiedly accepting the testimony of ot one side or the other It was waa balancing the two stories Judicially Waiving technicalities of navigation tion it was stated if It the unofficial account given by Captain Finch of ot the Arabic Arable were to be accepted the liner must have been steering the same course when struck truck as it was waa steering just before the torpedo o was waa fired tired If credence were to be accor accorded e to the evidence of t Mrs Zellah Covington Coving- Coving ton or American passenger er it was waa pointed out ut that the Arabic's Arable's helm must have been shifted after the torpedoing torpedoing tor tor- of at the steamship which was waa dest destroyed oyed Just before the White Star ve vessel ul was sunk Bunk This it was wan said implied an attempt by tho the Arabic to ram the U boat bont or to esc escape pe which the British unofficially unofficially un un- officially h have ve denied The fact that Captain Finch was contradicted byan by byan an m American p passenger s enger was mentioned men men- men men- as of additional importance Whether the administration saw further further fur fur- ther er conflict in accounts could not be learned It was at any any rate certain certain tain that Pr President VU Wilson on and Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- Lansing had taken seriously into consideration the disagreement in the Finch Find and Covington stories stories The Germans maintain th that t their U UI boat fired in self defense or to prevent the enemy liner from tram escaping escapIng ing and If It there Is IB any serious serIous' difference difference difference dif dif- ference of at opinion among the witnesses witnesses wit wit- nesses esses on on the Arabic the he of official view was that the kaiser will h hove e a a. very strong case case It was admitted on all sides aides that the Washington n government faces the most serious situation it has confronted confronted confronted con con- fronted since the European war be be- gan In view of ot President Wilsons Wilson's declaration declaration dec doe that th the tho United States would consider another unwarranted Gorman Gorman Gorman Gor Gor- man submarine attack Involving the loss of t American lives as as as' deliberately deliberately deliberately unfriendly it was agreed that there seemed to be no way out of at a German-American German diplomatic tic break at least If It this proved to be such a cos case c. c Without implying g that the adminis- adminis was seeking a way away way out there t I i were many In hi official circles who expressed expressed ex- ex pressed the opinion n that the White Whito House would be very glad giad to hear that the Arabic Amble affair was not deliberately de unfriendly that unfriendly that the boat hoax commander at least thou thought ht the liner wa was wag un under er convoy or or was trying to o ram him or to escape Such ex it was wa was thought with proper expressions of regret and offers of ot reparation might pass pans the matter for tor it was known positively that the I president wants no diplomatic break brenk much less war and believes the country country coun coun- try agrees es with him In hi this The question was WM ral raised ed however however- Would the German Iov government be I equally glad RIad to avoid trouble with the I United States There were wera a R. good many officials who thought not They expressed the opinion that the torpedoing of the Arabic Amble was a 0 deliberate first degree attack attack nn ah answer to the latest American n note note note-an te an an Intentionally Unfriendly unfriendly un friendly act act Which Berlin DerlIn would make no attempt to explain Boll some macaroni in well salted water until it Is 18 tender Drain and put Into pie dl dish hi cover with well sea gravy y sprinkle with mixed herbs find and n a thin layer of oC grated and bake in Sn a good oven for tor half an nn hour This makes an excellent pie le |