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Show IsSeicisTO OEFEUJDGffl Germany sends note on sinking sink-ing OF ARABIC AND LOSS OF AMERICAN LIVES. Expresses Regret and Sympathy, Declaring De-claring There Was No Desire on Germany's Part to Commit an Act Deliberately Unfriendly. Washington. Count von Bernstorft the German ambassador, on Tuesday communicated to the state department instructions from his government, expressing ex-pressing regret and sympathy if Americans Amer-icans lost their lives in the sinking oi the liner Arabic, and asking that the United States delay taking a definite stand in regard to the affair until Germany Ger-many could be heard from. This was the first word from an official of-ficial German source concerning the Arabic, on which two Americans perished. per-ished. Its receipt was followed by an evident relaxation of the tension which had been growing here as days passed with no indication of a desire on Germany's part to disclaim an intention in-tention of committing an act "deliberately "delib-erately unfriendly" toward the United States. No attempt was made either at the state department or the White House to interpret the ambassador's communication. commu-nication. Officials merely said that of course the American government would await the German, explanation of the action of the submarine commander com-mander in sinking the liner. Secretary Lansing indicated he did not intend to reply to the ambassador's ambassa-dor's message at this time. He agreed to its publication - with a statement that he had no comment to make. Particular attention was attracted here by the assertion in the German communication that in the opinion of the imperial government the accounts of the sinking of the Arabic which have come from England could not correspond cor-respond with fact. These accounts in affidavits by the captain of the ship and American survivors have agreed that the Arabic, an unarmed passenger vessel, bound for the United States with no contraband in her cargo, was torpedoed without warning by a submarine. sub-marine. It may be a week or more before Germany is heard from further. |