SINKING OF THE ARABIC

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2550, 26 August 1915, Page 5

SINKING OF THE ARABIC

SHUFFLING BY THE GERMAN ADMIRALTY MINED, NOT TORPEDOED CONTRADICTION BY THE COMPANY By Teloffrapli—Press Association—Copyright The Hague, August 24. • German Admiralty announces that it lias not received any submarine's report regarding the Arabic, and consid. ers that the liner struck an English mine. Washington, August 5&, Germany, through Count Benistorff, has any intention of killing Americans or sinking peaceful merchantmen in a flagrant manner. A FLAT CONTRADICTION. STATEMENT BY THE WHITE STAR COMPANY. .London, August 24. In order to positively contradict the (jerman suggestion that tho Arabic was liot tornedoed and other misleading -and untrue statements, tho "White Star Com oanv has officially issued a definite statement of the facts. The Arabic ,was struck by a torpedo. Captain Finch did not seo the submarine, but ho undoubtedly saw tlie torpedo. There was 110 question of trying to ram the submarine ; it was not seen from the bridge. There was no question of tho Arabic trying to escape, except the very proper precaution of putting the helm hard ' over when the torpedo was seen. Slio was sunk, without warning. She was engaged in peaceful trading, with passengers of various nationalities aboard outward bound, consequently thero was no question of munitions. Tho liner was not disguised, nor were any guns mounted. ' THE PLAUSIBLE BERNSTORFF. (liec. August 25, 9.15 p.m.) Washington, August 24. Count Bernstorff (German Ambassador). acting on instructions from Berlin. has asked tlie United States Government to await full particulars of the sinking of tlie Arabic. These are'now being gathered by the German authorities at Berlin. The United States Government has agreed. The State Department believes that it is uossible that the German submarine commander was misled ■ by' the Arabic's turnings, thinking that the liner was going to attempt to ram bis submarine. ' Tho Press characterises the President as being unduly timorous, and too ready to accept apologies when Germany offers them. CERMAN NEWSPAPER'S HOPE. THAT THE ARABIC WAS SUB- , MARINED. i Amsterdam, August 24. The "Hamburger Nach Richten" hopes tho report that tho Arabic was torpedoed will be confirmed, because, since the Lusitania foundered, it has been onlv rarely that vessels of over 5000 tons have been sunk by German torpedoes. Germany's Notes to the Washington Government clearly pointed out that she cannot in a war against a brutal enemy like England renounce any method of offence, least of all one of the most effective. The newspaper then prints a paragraph, apparently from the censor rather than the leader-writer, saying that Germany's enemies hopo that President Wilson will deliver them from the dancers of submarine war. Meanwhile. it has not been proved that the Arabic was struck by a 'torpedo ; there is the pbssibility that she was the victim of ono of the'bad British mines. , Tlie leader-writer, summing up, says: "Possiblv a U boat destroyed the Ara. bic. In that case she acted rightly, and if some Americans were drowned, that will again servo as a warning that no ono should light-heartedly enter tba war . zone or come within the range of modern weapons."