Show J CARGO OF FLAX DESTROYED BY GERMANS OFF ORKNEY ISLA ISLAND D 1 Commander Commande of Steamer Given Ample Warning and Crew Permitted to Collect Col- Col Collect Collect Col Col- lect Their Effects and Take Them Aboard U Underwater Craft W Washington An n.-An n. An American America ship 1 I Ihas has been sunk by a German submarine i irine rine the v vessel being sunk in sight I of nf land and aU all of of the cre crew cre saved The ves vessel el sent to the the bottom was was the he carr carrying ing a cargo of flax Vh h Is re the the Germans as kaS contraband The vessel wa was was sunk of o 1 the Orkney island Wl Destruction of the American ship by by a German submarine drew sharply to the attention 0 of officials dials of the United States government Monday the fact that Germany was ins insisting on her own interpretation of the Prussian American treaty of 18 1828 1523 3 in disregard of two vo American notes notes on n the subject In In three instances of Ameri American an s ships destroyed or damaged the damaged the the Gulf Gulf- light the Nebraskan and the wn William Jm P. P Frye Germany Frye-Germany Germany has bas agreed to pay pay damages and nd in the last case the tier Der lin government took the position that it had not violated the treaty of 1823 but had exercised a right given herby herby her her- herby by inference rence l from om the language of the he the pact Officials als of the Washington government government government govern govern- ment were surprised at destruction destruction of the but beyond adding another another an an- other other incident to the already strained rela relations ons between th the two governments govern ments meats there was no Indication th ht t the would lead to i ithe 1 L case a a v ne turn the general situation Only meager accounts of the d destruction de do of the have e bee been a received here but it is clear that tha submarine gave the comma commander of th tb thi steamer ample warning even even perm perms perm's ting tang the crew to collect part part part-of of of th ir j effects before taking them aboard the underwater underwater craft which then i l the combined use of shell fire and and anda a 1 x torpedo sent the the vessel to the b bottos bottoni p y The fact act that t the e crey Grey of the Vo sel were saved caused a feel feeling n of i relief in hi official quarters b but but t th re were many evidences of apprehension p n that if Germany continues to prom promise se payment yet d destroys more America AmerI America 1 i ships a new situation might be created creat created creat- creat re ted t- t ed which would require further warning warnIng warning warn warn- ing to the Berlin government The fact that the carried ra r 1 a cargo of or flax declared absolute ute c con contraband contraband con con- n. n by Germany on April IS 13 does not alter the view of the United 1 States government that the contraband contraband contra contra contra- band might have been r removed d and hd the vessel spared Under the gener general general al rules of international law the the thede de dew destruction of a neutral vessel carrying contraband contraband was not admitted Until the I famous Knight Commander case in iu the the i Russo-Japanese Russo war The declaration of London in 1909 embodied the J prin rin- rin 1 ciple as applicable in extreme cases cases but stipulated that passengers s I and d' d i crew must be transferred to a prat 1 j j of safety and the case itself later iter sent to a prize court for c determination tion Lion as to the legality of the act j |