The New York Times/1916/11/22/Germany Receives Inquiry on Sinkings
GERMANY RECEIVES INQUIRY ON SINKINGS
Mr. Grew, American Charge, Presents Communication About Arabia and Four Other Ships.
WILL GO TO ADMIRALTY
Published Details Differ from American Version, It Is Said—Reply Sent on Rowanmore.
BERLIN, Nov. 21.—Joseph C. Grew, Chargé d’Affaires of the American Embassy, called at the Foreign Office at 6 o’clock this evening and presented the American Government’s inquiry regarding the torpedoing of the steamers Arabia, Columbian, and Lanao, and two other steamers having Americans on board, which are alleged to have been sunk without warning.
The Foreign Office will refer the cases to the Admiralty for a report, which is regarded as necessary, as the details of the sinking of the vessels, as published here, differ in several important respects from those advanced in the American representations.
This is particularly true in the case of the Columbian, which instead of being in ballast and sunk without warning, was, according to the wireless press, reported from Spain as being laden with a mixed cargo of contraband and given a long period of grace to permit the rough sea to subside before she was torpedoed.
Says Rowanmore Sought Flight.
From a Staff Correspondent.By Wireless to The New York Times.
BERLIN, Nov. 21, (via Sayville.)—Joseph C. Grew, Chargé at the American Embassy, received two notes from the German Government this morning, one dealing with the Rowanmore case and the other answering Washington’s inquiries regarding the Rievaulx Abbey, Strathtay, and Antwerpen. In conversation with a high official of the Foreign Office I learn that the Imperial Government holds that the Rowanmore case is settled by this answer. The testimony of the submarine commander concerned is that the Rowanmore was sunk after all aboard had been brought into safety and that there had not been the slightest infringement of any provision of international law regarding cruiser warfare. Commenting on this relatively simple case, my informant said:
“The Rowanmore did not comply with the submarine’s summons to stop, and despite the warning shot took to flight. The Rowanmore continued to attempt to escape until her steering gear was shot away, when the Captain stopped the ship and the lifeboats were lowered. As soon as the submarine commander discovered that the Rowanmore had finally stopped and the boats were being lowered he ceased firing and did not sink her until all aboard were in safety. After the Rowanmore had stopped a signal was set that she was being abandoned, but in the haste of the moment the signal was set wrong, as the Rowanmore’s commander afterward confirmed. I may add that there was considerable bad feeling among the Rowanmore’s crew toward their Captain for having willfully and foolishly endangered the lives of all on board by attempting flight in the face of the submarine’s order to stop. The feeling was, in fact, so strong that the crew took to separate boats and left the Captain in the lurch. He was found floating alone in one lifeboat with only one oar and was picked up and taken aboard the submarine. Any and every statement that the submarine fired on the lifeboats is a falsehood. The submarine commander was most emphatic on this point and stated that there was not a vestige of truth in this charge.”
Concerning the ships dealt with in the second note, it is stated from the same official source that no German submarine was concerned in the sinking of the Rievaulx Abbey or the Strathtay, and that the Antwerpen was sunk because she was carrying contraband.
Special to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.—The notes delivered to Joseph C. Grew, the American Chargé d’Affaires at Berlin, dealing with the destruction of the Rowanmore and other vessels had not been received in Washington up to a late hour tonight.
There has never been much prospect that the Rowanmore case would assume serious proportions, because that vessel is generally credited here with having lost immunity from attack by having endeavored to escape. The Columbian incident also has not been regarded as serious enough to endanger friendly relations between the two nations because it is a case similar to that of the William P. Frye and covered by the old Prussian-American treaty.
The Antwerpen case has not been regarded as serious. She was a large tank ship flying the Dutch flag, bound from New York for London, with a cargo of oil, which is considered to be absolute contraband. The destruction of the Antwerpen was announced in a Lloyd's bulletin in London on Sept. 13.
The case of the Rievaulx Abbey, which the German Government says was not sunk by German forces, is one in which there has been no public interest in Washington.
The case of the Strathtay, which excited some interest when first news of its destruction was received, had also become a dead issue at the State Department in view of the fact that the British Admiralty was reported to have admitted that this vessel was destroyed by a mine.
The notes handed to the American Chargé today are, therefore, not considered important. But it is conceded that they may contain important declarations regarding Germany’s pledges. Special inquiries were made of the Berlin Government by direction of Secretary Lansing regarding the cases of the Marina and the Arabia, and it is respecting these that Washington is most anxious for Germanys’ version. Six Americans lost their lives when the Marina went down. Affidavits taken by Consul Frost at Queenstown from the American survivors of the Marina agree that the Marina was sunk without warning. A cabled summary of these affidavits reached Secretary Lansing yesterday from Ambassador Page at London.