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Show I Persia Case I is Puzzle fl State Department Is Still Without In- fl formation Whether Steamer Wat ! Torpedoed B Washington, Jan. 7. Tho submar- VgL, ino crisis, still of uncertain status njV bocausu of lack of details, was placed M by President Wilson before tho cab- M lnet today In Its first meeting slnco '4l bis roturn from Hot Springs, Va. JkI The senate foreign relations commit- MS tcb also met to consider tho situation HI but as Chairman Stono was detain- Kl ed at tho Whlto Houso by a confer. E9 enco with the president, adjourned VM without action. S Although moro than a week has B passed slnco tho steamship Persia H was sunk In tho Mediterranean with B tho loss of Amorlcan life, officials to- day were still uninformed as to who- tttt ther tho vessel was torpedoed and If H so, tho nationality of tho submarine. Bb Developments today continued to In- SB dlcato that the American government rpa would withhold action pending ofn- clal advices determining theso points. wfl Overnight developments Included igfl tno receipt of dispatches from Am- jPfl bassador Penfleld at Vienna assorting nfl that the Austrian government was KB without information concerning tho IB Incident up to tho night of January HB 4 and from Consul Garrets at Alex- fl andrla, Egypt, stating that ho had KB obtained affidavits from 21 survivors igfl and that all confirmed precious state- Hf mentfi that no warning was given and fjflj no vessel was seen. wS Ambassador Pcnficld's dispatch add- ffl C(l llmt Baron Burlan, the Austrian B foreign minister has asked what in- fB formation concerning tho incident IB wns 'n possession of tho United SB States. ifl Officers nnd crew of tho Persia, fl Consul Garrols reported havo left Al- W oxandrla for England. Their nfllduv- fl its will bo sought upon their arrlv- B a I thcro. 9 Stoto department offlclals had hop- fl od that lntmlrlcs of tho Vienna for- clgn offico would result In Informix- B tlon which might clear up tho doubt IB regarding tho circumstances of tho fr!H disaster. It was considered still pos- fl slblo that tho Austro Hungarian gov- tfl eminent might obtain tho desired In- SB formal ion later, as n submarluo opor- j&jl atlng whero tho Persia was sunk, m might havo been so far from Us baso M that Us commander would bo unab'.o ri,ort promi)t,y- KM Must Walt For Facts tfl As tho cabinet assembled It was M made plain that tho members agreed S with tho president that in tho caso Ml of tho Persia nothing could bo dono ifl until nil tho facts wero at hand. EM Some members expressed tho opinion B hat it might never bo learned who-B who-B tltnr tn0 'or8la was sunk by' a sub-19 sub-19 marlno nnd It so what nation was ifl responsible. HI Tlcgardlcss of tho outcome of tho B I'orsia caso, howoyor, tho majority B t the cabinet members are repro-BJ repro-BJ sontod as bcllovlng that tho tlmo has IB C0I11 for making certain that no fl further attacks on merchant ships B carrying Americans will bo made. B Tho administration lcadors aro B said to feel that continued loss of B llfo of Americans will lead tho Unit-IB Unit-IB ed States Into hostilities. |