Richmond times-dispatch. [volume], July 18, 1915, Image 1

About Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current

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During the Summer
Remember to JI ace The T-D Sent
to Your Resort Address.
Sicfimonii
Dur ng Vacation
Lei 1 he I -D Keep You Posted
on Richmond's tiomt A civs.
65th YEAR
VOLUME 05.
KL'MIIKH 100
RICHMOND, VA., SUN) >AY, JULY 18, 1915.? FIFTY-FOUR PAGES.
wi: \ tii Kit
VXiiK H
-FAIR
PRICE, FIVE CENTS
ORDUNAATTACKED; j
BARELY ESCAPES:
LUSITANIA'S FATE
German Submarine, With
out Warning, Fires at
Cunarder.
TORPEDO AND SHELLS
HURLED AT BIG LINER
In Thrilling Race at Sea^Captain
Saves Ship. From De
struction.
B FINDS OUT CALLS FOR HELP
r.isspncfrs, of Whom Twenty-Two
Are Amnricnns, Toll of
OiTurrcnce.
NEW YORK. July 17.?The Cunard
liner Ordunn, frorn Liverpool to New
Tork. with 227 passengers, including
twfnty?two Americans, was attacked
?without warning by a Gorman Buii
marine on the morning of July- 9. it
;was learned on her arrival here to-day.
Twenty mik-p from the graveyard of
the I-,usltanta off Old Head of Kin.sale,
the Ordunn escape.1 the Lusitania'e fate
by one-half a second of time or ten
feet of spare, the German torpedo
churning the water Just behind the
liner's rudder. Then the Ordunn sped
away. .She was followed by the sub
marine. which rose to the surface,
manned a gun and shelled the fleeing
steamer.
The attack was timed at t?-n minutes
to <> o'clock in the morning, when all
but a few of her passengers were
asleep. Aroused by stewards, the pas
li'-ngers dresK>"t hurriedly and went to
the. upper decks, where they donned
life belts and took their places at the
lifeboats. They heard thf scream of
the shells and saw the ocean spit up
columns of water where the missiles
struck. When the tire grew hot they
?were ordered, for their own protection,
to the next deck below.
For half an hour th<- Orduna showed
her heels t?> the assailant. Through
marine glasses ltie passengers watched
the low-lying Gentian warship coming
on. hut the Orduna's lllglit was faster
than the pursuit, and after seven shots
had been fired without effect, the sub
marine gave up the chase. A wireless
call for help was sent out by the
Orduna when the torpedo was seen,
{^he was then thirty-seven miles south
of Queenstown. The reply, Captain
Taylor eays in his official report, was
that help would be given within an
hour. It wan four hours before the
first British vessel, a small armored
yach:, the Jennnette, appear'd.
I'KOTKST \\ II,I. Ill-: MADE
ro r. s. ?;nvi:n\Mi-:\T
Protest will be made 10 the L'nlted
Ftates government by at least one
American citizen and possibly others
who were aboard. William ? >. Thomp
son. of Chicago, counsel to the l*e<li ral
Industrial Relations Committee, who
\u-nt abroad i:i his oflicial capa<-it> last
March, and was returning to make his
report, is the passenger who said to
day that he would mak" viuumus pro
test to his government.
"As an American citizen, employed
In an oflicial capacity by the govern
ment to go abroad, I fed I should call
the government's attention to th?j at
tack." said Mr. Thompson. "I feel that
1 had a tight to return on the Orduna,
because she is a passenger ship. The
fact that sl.e had no munitions of war
aboard fortified this opinion. It is
little short of marvelous that she was
not sent to the bottom with all aboard."
Early risers wero with the captain
on the bridge when the attack began,
and witnessed the ej.tire episode.
Among them was li.iron Marcus Rosen -
krantz, of l>eni ark. who married Miss
Rebie Lowe, of Atlanta, tin. The
baroness was with him on the trip, but
did not witness the attack.
"Ask the passengers what happened,"
Captain Taylor said when the. Orduna
docked here to-day. "I am attached
to the Royal Navy Reserve, and. there
fore. cannot discuss the matter. Ask
Baron Rosenkrantz: he saw the whole
thing."
"Rut. there is one question. Captain
Taylor, that you can answer, and you
alone. Were you attacked without
warning?"
|?ll) .NOT IIA VK SLIGHTEST
WAHMXt; OK ATTACK
"I did not have even the slightest
warning of the attack," he replied.
"Beyond that, 1 will say nothing."
Baron Rosenkrantz described the at
tack in detail
"We. left Liverpool about 2:30 o'clock
on the afternoon of Thursday, the Sth."
he said "At S:un o'clock the first
missile, a torpedo, was fired.
"A few minutes before that, however,
?we saw a small sailing ship Just ahead
of us. She had two American flags
painted on the side. She was broad
side to us. and seemed to. be heating
tip the wind. We could see her over
the bows.
"Captain Taylor apparently became
suspicious of this boat. We noticed
that the course of the ship Immediately
was changed, so that the little vessel
ahead would be given a wide berth.
I could see that we could pass far
astern of her if we. kept to the new
course.
"Some of those aboard believed fhe
sailing ship was hiding a submarine
behind her. Of this I can't say."
Thomas H. Oraham. of Liverpool,
another of the passengers on the deck
at the time, interrupted Baron Rosen
krantz to express his firm conviction
that such was tho case.
"We passed the sailing ahlp at a
considerable distance. Having done
this, most of us forgot, her," Baron
Rosenkrantz continued. "A few min
(Contlnued on Second Page.)
X. A IV, Mountain Excursion
Will leave Byr<l Street Station 11:30 A. M.,
Tuesday. July 20th. J-'.OO I^ynehburg ami
return; >3.00 Roanoke. Phone Madison 4S7
for further particulars.
Wilson Will Return
to Capital To-Day
Main Features of Note to Ger
many Determined
Upon.
[Special to The Tlmes-Dlnpntch.]
WINDSOR. VT., July 17.?President
Wilson lias determined upon the mnin
] features of the note to Germany, which
i he will discuss with the Cabinet on
Tuesday. 'Hn will leave Cornish for
j Washington to-morrow afternoon, and
I probably will confer with Secretary of
i State Lansing on Monday. <
Thla conference will be merely for
j the purpose of confirming the views
i which already have been exchanged by
j telegraph and telephone between them.
| The free and undivided attention
i which the President has given to the
I Herman situation indicates that his re
' turn to Washington will be promptly
i follower) by action or an announcement
! indicating the purpose of the govern
j ment.
j The President has devoted many
hours to consideration of the Mexican
problem while in Cornish and prob
! ably will disclose the next step in the
; administration's policy shortly after
I his return.
Mr. Wilson's final game of golf in
j Cornish showed an excellent score, and
i he gladly admits that his "form" has
j improved greatly since casting off the
; burden of ofTlcial duties in Washington.
| Ho enjoyed a long motor ride this
| afternoon, and to-night read poetry to
I his family, including Mr. and Mrs. F.
n. Sayre and Miss Helen Woodrow
' Hones, all of whom will remain at
1 tarlakenden House.
Court Attaches No Blame to Captnln
Turner or to Cunard Line,
Vessel's Owners.
SURVIVORS ARK DISAPPOINTED
1 Loss of Steamship and Passengers
Due Entirely to "Torpedoes Fired
j by Submarine of German Nation
ality," Says Verdict.
r/??DQN, July 17.?"Torpedoes fired
! by a submarine of German nationality"
j caused the loss of the steamship T.usl
j tania and Its passengers, according to
! the findings of the court of inquiry
! appointed to investigate the disaster.
| The court, in announcing its opinion
I to-day. held that no blame attached
either to Captain Turner, commander
of the vessel, or the Cunard I^ine, its
owners.
"After having carefully inquired Into
the circumstances of the disaster," says
the opinion, "the court finds the loss
of said ship and lives was due to dam
age caused the ship by torpedoes fired
by a submarine of German nationality.
"In the opinion of the court, the act
was done, not merely with the inten
tion of sinkinc the ship, but also with
the intention of destroying the lives
of the people on board."
The court held that the lifeboat and
life belt facilities were adequate; that
the demeanor of the-erew was above all
blame, and that the conduct of the
passengers, barring a slight panic
when the steerage passengers came on
deck, was praiseworthy.
The court also found that the sh .?
was unarmed, and that her cargo was
I a general one, the ammunition aboard
{'consisting only of 5,000 cases of cart
ridges. from which there was no ex -
i plosion.
DISTINCT DISAPPOINTMENT
TO AMERICAN SlRVIVOnS
A small gathering. composed almost
entirely of Lusitnnia survivors and
their relatives,- listened to the reading
? >f the findings by Raron Mersey. It !
was a distinct disappointment to the i
American survivors, who expressed in
dignant surprise at the portion which
exonerated Captain Turner and the
Cunard I.ine from all blame and com
mended the discipline of tho crew.
.Several attorneys representing Amer
ican clients listened closely to the
reading of the judgment, which may
have a great effect on actions brought
against the steamship company.
Among the spectators were Walter
Webb-Hare, representing the Vander
l>ilt family; Major P. Warren Peart
j and Mrs. Peart, of New York, and P.
R. Jenkins, of Chicago, survivors, and
William Crichton, of Xew York, whose
| wife was lost.
| Before the reading began. Major
? Peart, who has followed tho whole case
closely, expressed the opinion that the
decision would sharply condemn the
officers of the ship and the Cunard Line
for negligence.
"N'o doubt, there were mishaps in
! handling the ropes of the boats," Huron
! Mersey said, "but, in my opinion, there
, was no incompetence or neglect."
FAII.I'RE TO FOLIOW ADVICE
NO REASON FOR BLAME
Raron Mersey found Captain Turner
was fully advised by tho British ad
miralty as to the best course, but
added that in some respects he did not
follow it. Tho court pointed out, how
ever, that the admiralty instructions
were not intended to prevent Captain
Turner from exercising his Individual
judgment, and that his failure to fol
low the admiralty's advice to the letter
was no renson for blame.
j Reduction of the Lusitania's speed
, from twenty-four nnd one-half to
twenty-one knots still left the vessel
faster than any other boat on tho
Atlantic, said Baron Mersey, and ho
found there was no reason to blame the
Cunard Company for that economy dur
ing wartime.
Relative to the admiralty instruc
tions, the. court said that phase of the
inquiry was in camera, and that it
would be contrary to public Interest
' to discuss it.
"The captain of tho ship, Mr. Thomas
Turner," snld tx?rd Mersey, "gave his
evidence truthfully and well. I am
quite satisfied that the two captains
and the officers are competent men, and
(Continued on Second Page.)
Democratic Primary for County,
| Committee to Be Held on
September 28.
I STATE COMMITTEE DECIDES
i Straightouts Charge Citizens'
Party, or Fusionists, With 1
Republican Alliance.
"Into th?- rinK with you, Straight
outs and Fusionists. f\o to It. Kor
! twenty years you have been coming to
' the State Democratic Committee with
your wrangles and your conflicting as
sertions an t<? who's who in Norfolk
County. Now wo are KiviiiK you :i
j chanc<> to flpht it out. The winning:
j faction will ho recognized as the trim
I and regular body to control Democratic
! party affairs in your county."
That is substantially the admonition
and Injunction Riven th?- Democratic i
factions in Norfolk County by the j
State executive committee yesterday ]
afternoon, when a resolution presented
by Congressman Ha! D. Flood was
adopted by practically a unanimous
i vote.
! The resolution directs that candidates
j for county oflices, the fcounty Demo
cratic committee and the House of
i Delegates shall be nominated on Sep
tember 28 by a plan that is equivalent
to a primary. The election, however,
?will not be strictly under the direct
( primary plan. The plan is an unusual
one, devised to meet peculiar circum
stances and conditions.
It was adopted after th* committee
had rejected a substitute offered by Dr.
F. S. Hope, which called for an elec
tion on the same date, but under the
direct primary law, for county and
I district oflices and the House of Delc
: gates.
j PI.A.V PHRSRNTKD HV
conghkssma \ ki.ood
j In substance, the. plan presented by I
Congressman Flood and adopted with I
some amendments, is as follows:
The committee orders a primary to be
held September 2S to nominate for the
different, oflices and committee seats
to be filled.
All white qualified voters in Norfolk |
County shall be eligible to participate, '
regardless of past affiliations, provided
they shall promise to support the nom
inees of the primary in the general j
election.
All candidates shall notify Dr. F. S. |
Hope, who is to represent the State J
committee in this affair, of their candi
dacy at least ten days before the date
set for the primary. Dr. Hope shall
prepare the ballots and poll books to
be used.
The election officers are to be chosen
in the following manner: A list of the
precincts shall be prepared by State j
Chairman Ellvson. A representative
of the.Straifjhtout faction and a repre
sentative of the Fusionists shall draw
lots. The winner shall then name two
officers for a precinct and the loser one.
; They are to alternate then, the winner i
i naming one judge of election and the
loser two. Thus they go through the
list of precincts. The officers chosen
in this unique manner are to conduct
j the election.
mk.\ so oiosion wn.i. ni-:
ItUCOGMZKl) AS (.'OMMITI'KB
Within two clays of the election the
judges shall report the result to Dr.
Hope, who, within five days therefrom,
shall issue a call for a meeting of the
Second Congressional District Commit
tee to canvass the returns and declare
the result. The names of the commit
teemen elected shall then he certified
to Statu Chairman Kllyson, and the
men so chosen i 11 each magisterial dis
trict shall be recognized as forming
the Norfolk County Democratic Com
mittee. Each faction is directed to
pay Dr. Hope $150 to be used in de
fraying the expenses of the primary,
any balance remaining after all bills
are paid to be returned by him.
The amendments to the Flood resolu
tion adopted deal with controversial
questions that have been before the
State body since 1913. The committee
took this method of disposing of them
forever, burying them b^ond resurrec
tion. They read as follows:
"Resolved, That the St^te central
committee deems it unwise to reopen
the matters raised by the petition filed
with this committee in 1013, and it,
therefore, declines to do so.
?'Resolved, That the State central
committee is of the opinion that the
several county and city committees of
the State are vested with the au
thority under the party plan of organi
zation of determining whether there
shall bo nominations for county and
city oflices and for members of the
! General Assembly, and that this com
mittee has no authority to review the
decision of the Norfolk County com
mittee in this matter."
flAKK QUOUU.M PRKSEXT
WHEN BUSINESS OPRXS
It was a lively session, from start
to finish. Coatless and perspiring, the
| twenty-seven members sat through
three hours of discussion that carriod
a strong flavor of tabasco. There was
never a dull minute.
Chairman J. Taylor Kllyson called
the committee to order at 2 o'clock In
the assembly hall of Murphy's Hotel
annex. The first call of the roll by
Secretary J. N. Brenaman showed only
twenty-three members present. Tlu-ro
are fifty members of the committee,
and a majority is necessary to form a
quorum.
Vague apprehensions had seized (he
committeemen when Clyde YV. Saunders,
of the Third District, took the floor.
He had noted the entry of another
member.
"We have a quorum present, Mr.
Chairman," declared Mr. Saunders.
"Three of our members have died since
the last meeting. I submit that this
body Is now composed of forty-seven,
and twenty-four is a quorum. I move
we proceed to buHlnesH."
"There Is nothing to prevent it," said
Simon Solomon, also of the Third Dis
continued on Fourth Pago.)
PRISONER ATTACKS
HIM WITH KNIFE
j Life-Term Murderer Jumps From
Behind and Cuts His
Jugular Vein.
' DORMITORY ' DARK AT TIME
Physicians Have Hard Time
Stopping Blood, and Report
Condition as Serious.
.MIU.KIm;kVII.1,F.. OA., July 17!?
L.?*o M. J^rank, whose death sentence for
the murder of Mary 1'haKan recently
was commuted to llf<- Imprisonment,
was attacked by another prisoner at
I the State prison farm here to-night
and seriously injured by being cut In
the throat.
Prison officials said that the attack
on Frank was made by William Creen,
who also is serving a ltfe term for
murder. Frank's recovery Is said to be
! doubtful.
The attack on Frank, which was
made shortly after 11 o'clock, was made
from behind, a butcher knife being
the weapon used. Frank's left Jugulaf
vein was cut, but neither the spinal
cord nor windpipe was injured.
The attack on Frank was made In
tbe dormitory which the prisoners oc
cupy in common at night. All lights
were out at the time. Green is alleged
I to have had the knife secreted in his
prison clothing.
So quick was the attack made that
no guard had time to interfere. Frank
fell backward to the lloor, uttering a
cry of pain, the lights were quickly
switched on and the guards saw him
prostrate upon the flo> blood spurt
ing from his wounds, while a prisoner
was trying to make his way back to
his bed.
A knife that had been made of a
file, and which Uie conviccs had used
in killing hogs during the day was
found on the dormitory floor. How
the knife was smuggled Into the prison
la a mystery.
S1IICKON-I'n I SON Kit S
RENDER KIIIST AID
Dr. George B. Compton, the prison
surgeon, was immediately called, but
before he could reach 'bo prison dor
mitory, two surgeons who are serving
i terms in prison were at Frank's side,
administering tlrst aid.
"J guess they've got me," Prank is
quoted as having said to the doctors
when they had him. He did not lose
consciousness.
Frank was removed to the operating
room in the hospital department of the
j prison, where the wound was dressed.
I The physicians have not succeeded in
stopping the flow of blood, and Frank
Is growing weaker.
Prison officials who had been with
the doctors during the operation stated
that Frank had a chance to recover,
but that his condition was very serious.
Frank was brought to the State
prison farm in the early morning of
June -1, after a midnight trip from tho
Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, by train
to Macon, Ga., and thence by automo
bile to the prison.
A few hours after his arrival here, It
was officially announced that the then
Governor Slaton had commuted his sen
tence to life imprisonment.
Frank always has insisted that he
would in time prove that he was in
nocent of the charge of having mur
dered Mary Phapan.
L.ess than a week ago the State
militia companies here and at Macon
were ordered held in their armories,
a report having reached the State offi
cials that an attempt would be. made
to force an entrance to the State prison,
remove Frank and lynch him.
CHKEVS STATEMENT
to raisox officiai.s
While Frftnk was on the operating
table Warden Smith and other prison
officials had Creen brought before
them and his statement was taken.
"I'm awfully sorry that I did this,"
he is reporter! to have said. "At the
moment I thoupht that I was doing
what was right. I thought that I was
doing something that ought to be
done.
"If T had to do it again, I wouldn't
do it for anything in the world. 1 am
especially sorry, now that I realize
the seriousness of the crime. 1 am
sorry because of the criticism that it
may bring 011 the officials of the State
Farm, especially of Warden Smith. I
wouldn't do a thing in the world to
injure hint in his position. He had
confidence in me, and I have violated
| that confidence. I am ready to suffer
I the consequence."
Creen said that. Frank was asleep in
t bed when he was attacked. There was
I only one knife wound.
Immediately after Creen had made
his statement he was taken to the
basement of the prison, where he was
put In Irons and placed in solitary con
finement.
with conscience gleam
FRANK XOT AFHA1D TO DIE
I After Frank's wound had been dress
ed he turned to the physicians attend
ing him and asked: "Am I going to
die?"
"We don't know," said Pr. George
I?. Compton, the prison surgeon. "You
are in a serious condition and will
have to be quiet."
"If I am going to die," replied Frank,
"I am not afraid. Nothing stands be
tween me and God. I hope that tho
man who attacked me will be for
given."
Mrs. Frank, wife of the wounded
prisoner, was a guest at the home of
Superintendent Smith on the prison
farm to-night. She swooned when she
learned of the attack, but later rallied
?.nd she was taken to tho hospital
room where Frank's wounds were be
ing dressed.
LEO M. FRANK'S THROAT CUT;
HIS RECOVERY IS DOUBTFUL
MAM NEW FACES TO BE
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
List of Legislative Candidates for
Next Session Shows Fre
quent Changes.
SOME OLD MEX TO DROP OCT
J Others Have Opposition in Primary.
Some Senators and Delegates Have
J Already Reen Chosen by Arclama
matioh and Have No Opposition.
Prom a list of candidates for nomi
nation as members of the State Senate
and the House of Delegates in the
Democratic primary on August 3 It
appears that there will be a largo num
ber of new faces in tbc next General
Assembly, whlcn convenes in January.
In the great majority of counties and
senatorial districts where candidates
'have not been declared the nominees
i without opposition the Democratic
j voters will make the nominations next
month. In a few instances primaries
I will be hold in September, and In some
I few counties the convention system
I still prevails.
I Fifteen members of the present Sen
ate have been renominated without
j opposition, but from the other twent.v
i four districts the candidates will he
| practically all new men. Several of
the latter have already been declarer!
the nominee.
The same condition prevails among
tho personnel of the candidates for the
House of Delegates, and the indications
are that a majority of this branch will
be composed of new men. Many of the
delegates who were prominent in the
House during tho regular and extra
ordinary sessions of tho last General
Assembly will not come back.
NO CONTESTS OP
STATR-WIDE IMPOHTANCIO
There are no contests of State-wide
importance In prospect 011 August ;i,
such tights as there are being of a
purely local nature. The Richmond
contest, where there are four candi
dates for the two seats in the Senate
(and none for the five places in the
j House, will likely attract more atten
j tlon than any other feature of the
j August primary.
The advocates of prohibition will!
I have a safe working majority in the I
House, and the indications are that a
majority of the Senate will he com-1
posed of men pledged 10 the enactment
of such laws as will make prohibition
as effective as possible in the State
after November J. lfilti. In other
words, there is no doubt but that the
framing of the statutes looking to the
enforcement of the antiliiiuor verdict
of the voters of the State will be "In
the hands of the friends of prohibition,"
despite the pleas of the antisaloon
forces that there Is danger that the
will of the people will be defeated by
unfavorable legislation.
Candidates for the House and Senate,
so far as announced, are as follows:
SENATOItS AND IHKTItICTS.
First District?Washington, Smyth
and city of Bristol (convention not yet
called).
Second District?Scott, T.ee and Wise
(convention not yet called).
Third District?Buchanan, Dickinson,
Russell and Tazewell?J. Powell Uoy
all. Republican.
Fourth District ? Roanoke County,
Montgomery, Roanoke City, Radford?
\V. I.. Andrews, Democrat.
Fifth District?Giles, Bland, Pulaski
and Wythe?S. S. Slmmerman, H. C.
Gilmer (Democratic candidates in con
vention of August 14).
Sixth District?Carroll. Grayson and
Patrick (no convention yet called).
Seventh District?Craig. Botetourt,
j Alleghany, Bath and Clifton Forge?
(Continued on Second Page.)
I The Clwapenke Way to Ilnltlmore.
| nost snil foremoxt always; t>ut espeulnltv
popular now. Cool and dellKhtful sal! theite
warm evenlogs. Only t'i.SO 0110 way; ti.W
and $1.50 round trip Cheap excursion fares
to Atlanllc Cltv and Niagara Kails. Inquire
York River l.lnf, 107 ISusi Main.
ATTACK Oil ORDUNA ADOS
TO MIITT OF SITUATIDK
Expected to Ho Seriously Considered
in Formulating Next. Step in
Geriuan Policy.
INVESTIGATION WILL BE MADE
' Fact That Liner Escaped Unhurt
Does Not Relieve Case of Grave
Possibilities?Berlin Government
I to He Asked for Iteport.
"WASHINGTON, July 17.?Into the
grave situation tliat has developed be
tween the United States and Germany
over the sinking of the Laisitanla was
thrust another issue to-day, when it
was revealed that the British steamer I
Orduna, carrying a score of Americans,
had heen attacked by a German sub
marine.
Should first reports of an attempt
to torpedd without warning? be borne
out by an ofliolal investigation about
to be instigated, it was indicated in!
official quarters that the United States!
probably would regard the incident as!
adding? a grave element to the already
strained relations between the two
countries.
Lacking Information as to the cir- i
cumstanees of the attack, oflicials wore
tillable to predict to-night to what ex
tent the Orduna case would aggravate
the situation, but they thought the
question would certainly compel se
rious consideration by President Wil
son and his Cabinet in formulating the
next step in the policy of the United
Slates toward the activities of German
submarines and the safety of Ameri
cans on the high seas. Although the
Orduna escaped unhurt, this, in the
view of oflicials, does not relieve the
caj'e of grave possibilities. The fact!
that a belligerent merchant ship, bound
for the United States with Americans
on hoard and without arms and am
munition or contraband cargo, which
has heen tho reason assigned as the
provocation for previous attacks, was
assailed while her passengers slept con
vinced many oflicials' that the theory
they had entertained of an actual
change in the practice of German sub
marine commanders apparently had
huen dissipated. ,
WHOl.K CASK MAY IIIXCSF:
OX HI KSTIOX OK WAHVIVG
One point on which the entire case,
so far as the United States is con
cerned. may hinge is whether any at
tempt was made to halt the Orduna by)
the customary warning signals, either
by flag, megaphone or shots across the
how of a vessel.
As yet tlie case Is not ofllcially be
fore the State department, but as soon
as some of the American passengers
file their statements of what took place
the question undoubtedly will be
brought immediately to the attention
of the German government for a report
from its submarine commander on the
circumstances of the attack.
The case is believed to l>e different
from that of the Ani;l<i-<':?lifornian and
the Armenian, which were ordered to
halt, but repeatedly attempted to es-1
cape capture. According to the rules
of International law. even though neu
trals are on board, tin? use of force Is
held to he justified to compel submis
sion.
The captain and officers of the Or
duna have stated that no warning or
?t?rnal had been given when the torpedo
was seen streaking through the water.
Oflicials here thought, therefore, that
any attempt made by the Orduna to
escape was probably justified, llcr sub
sequent actions, they believed, could be
upheld In the interest of self-defense.
Irrespective of whether or not a
signal was given to th.i Orduna ?o halt,
or whether the shot;: flred by the Ger
mans came without warning, the v'.e.w
which impressed oflicials to-night was
that German submarines had not abnn
(Continued on Fifth Page.)
Vast Enveloping Movement
in Effort to Destroy
Russian Army.
WITHIN EIGHTY MILES
OF GREAT BALTIC PORT
Kaiser's Forces Leave Tr^il of
Desolation Along Coast From
Memel to Libau.
FICHTIXG AIiIj ALONG NFAV LINTS
frown I'rliifp's Drive in Ar^onno
Forest Arrepleil as Small
Surcess.
Heavy Fighting
in Both Sections
COXTl Vt'ATIOX of flip hrnvy
llvhtlnK of tlie pn*t foTv dnv*.
which Imw tnsnoil the Hues of both
nlllm nnil (iermnn* to nml fro nlnnc
thf linttlc front In I-'rnncc. In lndi
miIim! In the Intent nffli'lnl report*.
I'nrl* record* tlic repulne of ttto
(?eriiuin attack* In the Aruonnc. It
nl*o tell* of the breaking >ip by
nrtlller.v fire ??f nil iitlcmpt l?j" the
CerniniiM to reenpture trcnche* nt
linn lie Snpt. In the Vo*sf?. which
they recently ln.it, mill the break
ing up of nn nnnmilt in tl\e forent of
i'arroy, In I.orriiiiie.
It I* In the eimt. however, tlint
operation* of the nlilext miiKnItuile
nml linportniice nre developing. A
fiermnii move through I'olnnil In he
lleveil liy military olmerver* to he
directed nt Itlgn, on the llaltic, mid
*ecm* to he gathering foree.
The nrmle* which Field Mnrnlial
von Iliiidcnhurg In thought to he
eommnndlnK nl*o nre exerting ntich
pre**iirc Month \Tiiril from the Knit
rriiNMian frontier tlint the IliiNnlnn*
admittedly nre drawing hnek their
line* nlonc the \nrew.
In the l'rr.nmi y*r. region, Petro
Rrml claim* the Hti**lnn troop* nre
dnlni; lietter tlinn holding , their
own. Itntli the AiiMtrinn* nnd the
f.ermiinN nre nRnln notlve In front*
In Sontliern Poland mid nenr the
ItiiMNfnn border in (inlleln, tile *lmul
tnneoiiN ndvnnee of nil the Tentonie
nrmicn being held to Indlente the
beginning of nn nttenipt t?> encircle
the ItuMKinn force*.
LONDON. July 17.?The Germans
have been showing rcncwefl activity in
Lorraine, and early to-day they at
tacked the French trenches in the
forest of Parroy. where, according to
the French official report?the only of
ficial communication received up to a
late hour to-night?they were re
pulsed.
The French War OfTiee says also the
Germans suffered a defeat in the
Vosri-s. On the remainder of ttift
western front the two armies have rn
gaged in violent artillery actions.
These operations are of minor Im
portance. Of the major battles In the,
east which have for their object .JligTu
and Warsaw, not. a word has come
through from olther side to-niglit.
l-'rom enrlier reports it Is gathered
that the German offensive, which now
reaches as far north as the district of
Tttga. is being heavily pressed, and
that, although in several sections the
Russians are retiring, no decisive ac
tion has been fought so fnr.
In addition to the advance on Riga,
there is stiff fighting on the Narew
front, in Northern Poland, and the ad
vance guards have been engaged be
tween the Vieprz and Bug Rivers, In
Southern Poland. Field Marshals von
Hindenburg and Von Mackensen are
clearly acting in co-operation in the
movement against Warsaw, one ad- .
vancing front the north and wfest, and
the other from the southeast. Prob
ably it will be several-days before the
armies get Into full swing.
XliW f. Kit M AN OKKKNSIVK
OK HUGH PROPORTIONS
A new German offensive of huge pro
portions with Riga, a great Russian
seaport and the seat of the Governor
Gen.iral of the Baltic provinces, as Its
objective, is revealed in the latest of
tieial statements issued at Petrograd
and Berlin.
Military experts here construe th??
offensive to be a vast enveloping
movement, in which the Germans ar?>
making a herculean effort to destroy
the Russian army.
The German and Russian communica
tions agreed that the German forces,
are at the Windau River, near (Jold
Ingen, which is only eighty miles from
Hit;:t. The latter city Is a great strata
pic commercial metropolis on the Gulf
of Riga and on the upper Raltlc.
An official Petrograd statement re
ceived this morning adds details 01
sanguinary fighting all along the new
line in effort a to hold back the Ger
man advance now being concentrates
on Riga and on Warsaw, while the
Austro-Hnngarians are moving liorth
ward from the Dniester.
THAU. OK DKSOI.ATIO.V
AI.OV'C BALTIC SKA
Advices reaching London to-day sa?
that the Germans left a trail of denota
tion along the Baltic Sen from Memel
to Lihau. The villas, hotels and ca
sinos at Lihau are said to have been
destroyed, about the only exception. It
Is said, being th<- palace of a Polish
nobleman, whose cousin married ?n
American woman. The palace now is
being used as a military headquarter*,
in which Prince Henry of Prussia and
Field Marshal von Hindenburg recently