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Show WASHINGTON IS MUCH WORRIED Sinking of the Arabic Viewed as a Most Serious Question. Washington, Aug. 20. Tension increased in-creased In official quarters tonight when consular messages forwarding affidavits of American survivors of tho British liner Arabic brought definite def-inite information that the vessel was torpedoed without warning and that probably some Americans had been lost. It seemed that but one point remained to be cleared up whother the Arabic attempted to ram tho submarine sub-marine or whether a change of the liner's course to assist the already sinking British steamer Duuslcy near by was misinterpreted by tho German Ger-man submarine commander as a hostile hos-tile approach. The attitude of the American government for tho moment is receptive, anxiously awaiting accurate accu-rate details and reserving Judgment as to whether tho action was "deliberately "de-liberately unfriendly." The final decision de-cision rests with President Wilson. Conference Is Held. Tho president motored to Philadelphia Philadel-phia today to see an oculist. He consulted con-sulted Secretary of State Robert Lansing Lan-sing before leaving and conferred with him again tonight. No statement was fn r Mi rn mine Tho Pftnp.rnt trfnrl nf comment was that the American . government had reached the point . where It must now decide whether 1 it would sever diplomatic relations . with Germany. In addition to awaiting information from the American survivors, the om-, om-, bassy in London and American con-1 con-1 suls, officials expect some word from Ambassador Gerard at Berlin to indicate in-dicate whether the attack without warning ou the Arabic had the sanction sanc-tion of the German government Should Germany offer an explanation, asserting there were qualifying circumstances, cir-cumstances, such as an attempt by the Arabic to escape or ram the submarine, subma-rine, the disposition on Germany's part to discuss the case would, In ail likelihood, be construed here as a disavowal of any Intention deliberately deliberate-ly 'to violate the principles for which the United States has contended. Carried No Contraband. Officials here liave found it difficult diffi-cult to reconcile the act with previous pre-vious declarations from Germany that the purpose of the submarine warfare was to prevent tho carriage of munitions of war to the allies. The Arabic was bound for an American port and carri ed,therefore, no contraband. con-traband. The consorshlp In Great Britain of press dispatches on 'the disaster created cre-ated the Impression that perhaps facts were being withheld which might affect af-fect the cast vitally. Official messages, mes-sages, however, are not subject to censorship and confidence prevails that within another twenty-four hours the circumstances of the torpodolng would be definitely learned. For a while today some officials, hearing that the Arabic was convoyed for a time on her outward Journey from Liverpool, thought this might have caused the German submarine to disregard the rule of visit and search and the giving of warning. Later, however, the statement of an American survhir transmitted officially offi-cially told how the lifeboats drifted four hours before being picked up This was regarded as destroying thi theory that convoys could have Virion nTivrohorft n tVio xrlrtlnH nthan the Arabic was sunk. Even if the Arabic was convoyed part way it would not affect her status, In the opinion of lawyers In the state department |