Evening star. [volume], May 07, 1915, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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WEATHER.
Rain tonight: Saturday partly cloudy;
moderate to fresh south to west winds
Temperature past twenty-four hours:
High, 77, at 2 p.m. today; low, 58, at
3 a.m. today.
For full report see page 21.
4 l,OSIX<* *RW YORK STOCKS PAGE 21.
mc
taf.
Today's Star Contains
Two Parts.
Last Week's Sworn 5et Circulation
Dally Average, 72,179; Sanday, 53,474.
No. 10.94").
WASHINGTON, D. C., FRIDAY, MAY 7, 1915.-TWENTY-SIX PAGES.
? ??
ONE CENT.
LUSITANIA TORPEDOED AND SUNK
BIG UNER GOES DOWN
OFF IRISH COAST; THINK
PASSENGERS ARE SAFE
p ? ? " i I ; " q
Ambassador Page Cables That Steamer
Sank in Thirty Minutes After Being
Struck by Weapon.
ALL SHIPS IN THE VICINITY
RUSH TO AID OF CUNARDER
Officials of Company Receive Wireless Advices of
Disaster Eight Miles From Kinsale, Near Old Head.
Details of Wreck Coming In Slowly.
Ambassador Page at London this afternoon cabled: "Lusi
tania torpedoed and sunk within thirty minutes. No news of
passengers yet."
NEW YORK, May 7.?The Cunard liner Lusitania, one of the
fastest ships afloat, was torpedoed and sunk this afternoon off the
coast of Ireland, ten miles south of Kinsale. She had aboard 1,253
passengers. She sailed from this port last Saturday, May 1, and
carried, in addition to her own large passenger list, 163 passengers
transferred to her from the Anchor liner Cameronia.
The news of her sinking was announced by the local office of the
Cunard line, and was based on cable advices received from the home
office of the company in Liverpool. Three dispatches received in the
order named, were made public by th$ line, and read as follows:
"We received from the Lands End wireless station news of re
peated distress calls made by the Lusitania, asking for assistance at
once. Big list. Position ten miles south of Kinsale. Subsequently
received telegram from Queenstown that all available craft in the
harbor had been dispatched to assist."
' The second message to the local office read:
"QUEENSTOWN, 4:59 p.m.?Wire begins about twenty boats
of all sorts belonging to our line are in vicinity where Lusitania sunk.
About fifteen other boats are making for spot to render assistance."
The third cablegram was dated Liverpool and read:
"Following received by admiralty: Galleyhead, 4:25 p.m.?Sev
eral boats, apparently survivors, southeast nine miles. Green steamer
proceeding to assist."
Dispatches received here from London, Liverpool and Queens
town confirmed the news. One of the messages said it was believed
that all the big liner's passengers had been saved.
No definite news as to the fate of the passengers had been re
ceived by the Cunard line here early this afternoon.
? DETAILS COME IN SLOWLY.
The Cunard line announced that it would make public as fast as
received all dispatches on the sinking of the Lusitania, including
those relating to the fate of the passengers.
The stock market was stunned by the news. A torrent of sell
ing orders poured in from every section of the country. A period of
intense excitement followed. Prices in war specialties broke 15 to 30
points within an hour. Stable issues dropped 5 to 10 points.
Late today the Cunard line officials received a dispatch from
Queenstown stating that a large steamer and many small vessels and
hoats were in the vicinity rendering assistance.
The dispatch follows:
"Large steamer just arrived in vicinity. Apparently rendering
? .oistance. Tugs, patrols, etc., now on the spot taking boats in tow.
?lotor fishing boats with two Lusitania boats bearing probably for
Xinsale."
This information came from Old Head via Queenstown.
NO WORD OF CREW.
LIVERPOOL, May 7, 5143 p.m.?The Echo has been informed
< Continued on Second Page.)
CHINA PREPARES
TO CONCEDE ALL
JAPAN DEMANDS
Ultimatum Handed Peking
Government Without Advisers
and Munition Clauses.
REPUBLIC WILL AVOID
RUPTURE, NIPPON HEARS
Chinese Cabinet Will Bow to Force.
Being Unable to Defend
the Nation.
TOKIO, May 7? 4:40 p.m.?In pre
senting: Its ultimatum to China, Ja
pan omitted from the present nego
tiations all Items In ?croup V of the
amended list of demand* nlth the
exception of the portion* dealing;
with the eoncenftlonsi in Fnklen, on
which an agreement already has
been reached.
The demands In grroun V are re
served for future dlscusnion.
PEKING, May 7, 6 p.m.?
There is good reason to believe
that China is prepared to concede
everything demanded by Japan,
realizing that the situation is
hopeless.
A dispatch sent to the Tokio
Nichi Nichi, from its correspond
ent here, says China has in
formed Japanese Minister Hioki
that it desired to arrange a settle
ment of the demands in such a
way as to avoid a rupture.
Eki Hioki, the Japanese minis
ter, went to the Chinese foreign
office between 3 and 4 o'clock this
afternoon and presented the Japa
nese ultimatum, which insists that
China accede to the demands pre
sented by the Tokio government.
Japan Makes Concessions.
Prior to this action on the part of
the minister the secretary of the lega
tion visited the foreign office and in
formed Vice Minister Tsao Yulin that
the ultimatum of the Japanese govern
ment contained certain modifications
of the twenty-four demands presented
by Tokio, notably the questions relat
ing to munitions and advisers which
Interested the United States. ,
The impression prevails that the in
fluence of the elder statesmen resulted
?in the further concessions being made
to China in the belief that the lasting
interests of the Japanese empire could
be served by convincing the powers
that Japan is guided by a spirit, of
justice and a desire for the preserva
tion of peace in the orient.
Japan's policy, says the Peking Ga
zette. is to extort the entire body of
her demands while avoiding odium of
Europe and America ^ for exactions
from China through an ultimatum.
Prepare to Leave.
The possible peaceful outcome to the
present tense situation is not general
ly comprehended in Peking; conse
quently, a number of foreign residents,
as well as Chinese themselves, are to
day packing their personal belongings
and otherwise preparing for eventu
alities.
, It was ascertained here today that
| the Japanese government yesterday
I presented to the Chinese minister at
Tokio a note warding him that China
must accept the demands of Japan.
The Japanese government is said to
believe that neither Great Britain nor
the l.'nited States will interfere with
the course of events in China.
Scope of Negotiations.
The presentation of the Japanese
ultimatum to China i.s the culmination
of the negotiations which have been
going on since January, and which
| have represented Japan's endeavor to
compel China to accede to a s?-rics of
; demands numbering originally twenty
j one and subsequently raised to twenty
i four, which, if accepted by China, would
I have very materially increased the in
j fluence of Japan, politically, financially,
, and industrially, in the affairs of the
Chinese republic.
It is understood thiit this ultimatum
expires at 6 p.m. of Sunday, May !*.
At the same time there is good reason
to believe China, realizing her situation
to be hopeless, will be compelled to
I accede to Japan.
SBOaBBgE
THIS LISITAMA SHOWN DOCKING AT SEW YORK.
OPEX-AIR LAUNDRY WORK IX SYRACUSE
two en ships
DESTROYED BY FOE
| Centurion and Candidate Are
J Struck by German Subma
rine Torpedoes.
I
I LONDON May 7?Thr- British steam
j-.er <*enturion was torpedoed by a Ger
| man submarine off the Irish roast yes
terday. Her crew were saved.
The Centurion was attacked about
the same time that the British steamer
? 'andidate. owned by the same com
pany, was torpedoed off Waterford.
Ireland. The Centurion was bound
for South Africa and the Candidate
for Jamaica.
Candidate Also Torpedoed.
The British steamer Candidate was
torpedoed by a German submarine yes
terday off Waterford, Ireland. The
members of her crew were saved.
The Candidate was outward bound
when she encountered the submarine
eighteen miles from Waterford. Mem
bers of the crew say the vessel was
torpedoed without warning.
Four boats were launched from the
? Candida re One of these was swamped,
i but the occupants clambered into the
j other boats. All of the crew, mini
' bering forty-four, landed at Milford
Haven.
Loss Blamed on Submarine.
Lloyd's report definitely states that
it was a submarine which sank the
Danish steamer Cathay, although ear
lier accounts indicated that it might
have been a mine.
The trawler Merrie Islington was
torpedoed by a submarine near Whitby,
? off the Yorkshire coast.
The commanders of the German sub
I marines treat their victims with <on
j ?ideration. The skipper of the trawler
Stratton was taken aboard the sub
marine after his boat had been sunk in
the North sea. The German commander
said to him: "We don't want to hurt
your crew, but you were taking food
to England. We must stop that."
Ship Escapes in Fog.
.Ye British steamer Cayo Romano,
which left Newport News April 19. was
attacked by a submarine, a torpedo
missing her r?y only a few feet. She
escaped, aided by the fog. under a lull
head of steam.
Notwithstanding tin- severe losses
they have suffered by German subma
rine raids, the trawlers still continue
fishing as usual.
AUSTRIANS ADVANCING
AGAINST THE SERBIANS
GENEVA, via London, May 7.?A
dispatch to the Tribune from Vienna
says that an army corps under Arch
duke Eugene has arrived at Moravitz,
ten miles from the Serbian frontier,
advancing against Serbia.
Hero of Ealaklava Dies.
LONDON. May 7. 6:14 a.m. Lieut. Gen.
William Henry Beaumont de Horsey, who
commanded the famous Light Brigade in
its charge at Balaklava. died last night
at the age of eighty-nine years. He en
tered the army in 1S44, became a major
general in 1878 and retired in 1883. He
was decorated for gallantry in the Cri
mean war.
KURDS MASSACRE !
5.000CHRISTIANSI
Some Estimates Place Number
of Dead East of Lake
Urumiab at 10,000.
850 ARMENIAN WOMEN
ARE SOLD INTO SLAVERY I
Member of Turkish Parliament and
Five Others Murdered?Russians
Occupying Territory.
TIFLIS, Transcaucasia. May 7 Five
thousand Christians have been slain by
Kurds in the district to the east of
Lake I'ruiniah since military operations
started there. Some estimates place
the number as high as 10,000. More:
than 850 Armenian women have been
sold into slavery.
Armenians Murdered.
Reports received by Armenians re
siding in Tifiis relate the murder of a
member of the Turkish parliament
from Van, an Armenian named Wra
man. A celebrated political worker
1 named Ishkan. together with four com
panions. also lost his life with Wraman
The six men at the time they were
killed, were on their way to Shattuk
10 lead in the defense of that place
aga-nst the Kurds. Ishkan also was a
resident of Van.
This Armenian city in Asiatic Turkey
was bombarded by 900 Turkish regular
troops, who had with them three pieces
of artillery. Armenians numbering fc60
assembled in the village of Saraguinis
to oppose the murderous bands of
Kurds threatening that place, but the
Kurds were aided by Turkish regulars,
and after a long struggle the detach
ment of Armenians were all wiped out
with the exception cf eight men, who
ultimately found shelter in the monas
tery of St. Tativas.
Russians Occupy Territory.
An agent of the Armenian atd cotn
1 mittee. after a horseback trip from
I Alashkirt to Dayzet, has reported that j
this region is fully occupied by Kus- ;
sians and that 6,000 out of -5,000 refu- !
gees have returned to their homes. The !
agent reports that many villages have |
been destroyed and that without ex
ception every village has been more or
l^ss damaged
The aid committee is buying back
cattle and buffaloes looted by the
Kurds. The agent reports that he has
been successful in bringing about a
general return of Christians to the.
district east of Lake I'ruiniah.
American Missionary Flees.
1 Robert M. T^abaree, an American mis
sionarv of the Presbyterian Church;!
the Nestorian pastor. Isaac Yonan, and
John Mooshie. editor of the Erinia Star,
have been compelled to flee frfm Oil
man. Yonan and Mooshie are gradu
ates of American universities. Mr.
Labaree has been compelled to aban
don his efTort to reach the besieged
American mission at I'ruiniah.
Pastor Decross, head of the French
mission at Hosrova, also is safe; but
he has lost hope of regaining his mis
sion, which is at present occupied by
the Kurda.
LOOK ON "ATTACK"
AS ONLYSKIRMISH
Gen. Obregon's Army Not
Thought to Have Made As
sault on Aguascalientes.
The general attack 011 Aguascalientes
by Geri. Obregon's army, reported yes
terday by Carranza headquarters at
Vera Cruz as having begun May 4. is
believed by American officials there to
be only outpost engagements, accord
ing to advices today to the State De
partment. No consular reports on the
military situation have been received
from the fighting zone in central Mex
ico in several days.
The report from Vera Cruz today said
the announcement of the attack * on
Aguascalientes was believed to have
been premature. Skirmishing and mi
nor engagements at several points be
tween Villa's field headquarters at
Aguascalientes and Obregon's base at
Celaya have been reported by both
sides for the last two weeks, ami it is
supposed Carranza cavalry patrols may
have attacked outposts near the north
ern town, although fhere is nothing to
indicate that Obregon's army is far
north of Celaya.
British embassy officials here are se
riously concerned over the situation in
the oil fields of Mexico, upon which the
the British navy depends for large
Quantities of fuel oil.
Foreign-Owned Wells Undamaged.
Assurances have reached the State
Department from Tampico that 110 for
eign-owned wells had been set afire or
otherwise damaged at I'anuca, recent
ly captured by the Villa forces. This
served to relieve one source of worry
at the British embassy, but officials
fear delays and possibl> an attempt at
double taxation may result Irom the
fact that Villa troops control the pro
ducing wells. The gulf terminals at
Tampico and Tuxpam are still in Car
ranza hands.
A State Department statement last 1
evening said:
"It is reported from Tampico that the j
I'anuca river is closed to traffic above
Tamest. The rapture of the town by j
Gen. Villa is confirmed and it is stated ;
that no foreigners suffered any dam-1
ages.
?' The territory containing practically j
all theproducing oil wells is now held]
by the forces of lien. Villa, while Gen.;
Carranza controls all the oil terminals
in the district of Tuxpam and Tam
pico.'' I
FRANCE TO REQUISITION
ALL STOCKS OF WHEAT
PARIS, May 7.?Announcement has
been made to the budget committee of
the chamber of deputies by Premier
Viviani and Minister of Commerce
Thomson, that the government intend
ed to requisition all existing stocks of
wheat, which will be resold throughout
France at a fixed price. The (Ministers
explained that the wheat supply was
more than adequate to meet the re
quirements of Ine civil population, but
that requisition was deemed expedient
to prevent speculation and the arti
ficial inflation of bread prices.
The measure proposed by the govern
ment is expected to have the effect of
maintaining the existing low price and
making it uniform throughout the
country.
SHELLS ARE RAINED
UPMCAPITAL
Russian Fliers Said to Have
Made First Attack on
Constantinople.
MORE OTTOMAN FORTS
REPORTED SILENCED
Moslems Said to Have Lost Heavily
When Allied Troops Take Heights
Facing Souain Dere.
LONDON. May 7.?The first attack of
the war on Constantinople is reported
in an official dispatch from Athens. It
is said three Russian aviators flew
?%'fIrithe c,t>' dropping several bombs,
Which are believed to have caused
extensive damage.
The Russian Black sea fleet bom
barded the Turkish forts on the left
bank of the Bosporous Wednesday.
Several Russian shells fell within
about ten miles of Constantinople.
Forts Are Silenced.
Certain forts at Chanak and Kalid
,f tl,e Dardanelles have been
silenced, while some of those of both
sides of the waterway up to Nagara
probably also are out of action, says a
dispatch to the Chronicle from Mytil
ene.
The allies' troops, after short en
gagements, which caused heavv losses
to the Turks, captured the heights fac
"I? Souain Dere fort, four miles west
: V^ ,, i*,h>r,',.says an Athens dispatch
to the Dall? Mail. "The possession of
I these heights promises the speedv re
i V-1'?'!0" of Souain Dere. which covers
Kilid Bahr.
Continue Successes.
"The allies later continued their suc
cesses, turning their attention to the
section of the peninnula between Gaba
Tepe and Seddul Bahr.
"An entire division of Turkish rein
forcements have arrived on the penin
sula, and desperate fighting Is under
way to prevent them from effecting a
.junction with the troops in holding the
! positions in the lower part of the
| peninsula."
Warships Ctill Active.
J 'J he artillery exchanges between th?
! warships of the allies and th* shore po
sitions of tiie Turks continue.
Some vessels are firing from the Gull
of Saros. making use of inflammable
shells. The town of Maidos was set on
fire yesterday.
I A dispatch to the Exchange Tele
i Kraph from Athens says that as a re
sult of the destruction of the F'anderma
bridge by a British aviator communi
cation between Smyrna and the Dar
danelles is interrupted and that both
the movement of Turkish troops and
the transport of supplies from the in
terior of Asia Minor have been render
ed difficult.
!
OVATION FOR THE KAISER
ON RETURN TO BERLIN
| AMSTERDAM, via London. May 7.
The Nieuw Rotterdamsche Courani says
it learns from Berlin that when Km
peror William arrived in Berlin from
headquarters he was enthusiastically
cheered by the populace.
"From the station to the palace" the
newspaper adds, "the emperor's motoi
car could only proceed slowlv throuRh
[ the dense crowds. The emperor was
looking fresh and well. The empress
I was visibly affected by ihe great ova
i tion accorded the emperor."
RED CROSS DISPOSSESSED
AND ITS FUNDS SEIZED
I.ONDON, May 7, 2:25 a.m.?A dis
patch from Havre to the Dally Tele
graph says that frince de Ligne. pres
ident of the Belgian Red Cross, re
ports that Gen. von Bissing, the Ger
man governor ..f Belgium, has dispos
sessed the Red Cross from its pow.rs
and seized funds amounting tu 200.000
I francs i$40.0001.
i The dispatch states that Prince de
Ihas tiled protests with Brand
i W hitlock. I niti-d States minister lo
J Belgium, and the international h?>ad
| quarters of the Red Cross at Geneva.
SWAMPED WITH INVITATIONS.
Many Declined That Atlantic Fleet
Sailors May Obtain Rest.
NEW YORK, May 7.?To spare the
enlisted men of the Atlantic fleet as
sembling here for review from a series
of entertainments that would occupy
all their spare time while in port, and
to give them a chance to rest while in
New York, the entertainment commit
tee has been compelled to refuse many
invitations to the sailors.
"Uue of the objeets of having the fleet
here fo*- a week," said Finley J. Shep
ard. chairman of the committee, '"is to
give the enlisted men who have been
busy all winter a period of rest. If
we were 10 accept all the invitations
I that have come in the enlisted men
would be kept going from early morn
ing until late at night for ten days, and
probably would go to sea May 18 in
need of real rest."
Fifteen thousand sailors are expected
to attend the boxing and athletic con
| test to be given for their benefit In
Madison Square Garden next Thursday
night.
Will Build of Concrete in Panama.
COLON, May 7.?The I'ana ma govern
ment and the Panama railroad have de
cided that all buildings erected in future
must be of concrete construction. The
new buidling regulations which will be
formulated are the result of the disastrous
fire which swept Colon. oi>erations have
been suspended until a eomplete code is
adopted. One hundred immigrants from
Jamaica who arrived here yesterday were
not permitted to land and were returned
to their home# toda^.
T
I Slavs Reported as Being
, Steadily Broken Down, But
They Deny This.
CONCEDE A MEASURE
OF SUCCESS TO FOE
: Czr.r's Forces Report Victory in Bat
tle Near Stry. in the Car
pathians.
BERLIN CLAIMS BIG CAPTURES
j 40,000 Russians Said to Have Beea
Taken Prisoner?Grodno Is
Bombarded?General Fight
ing Continues.
LONDON. May 7.?The exact
status of affairs in the great bat
tle of western Galicia remains in
doubt. German and Austrian re
ports of a spectacular victory are
increasingly optimistic. They
state that the resistance of the
Russians is being broken down
steadily and that the whole Car
pathian army of the Russians has
been placed in a precarious situa
tion.
Petrograd advices, however,
while conceding a mea>ure of
success to the Teutonic allies, say
these claims are greatly exag
gerated.
The Russian war office an
nounces a victory in a battle near
? Stry. in the Carpathians, farther
i east than the scene of the present
I main battle.
The Germans continue to claim
extraordinary successes in push
ing their offensive against the
Russians. More than 40,000 pris
oners have been taken by the
Germans in the war area to the
east of Tarnow and to the north
of that place as far as the Vistula
| river and on the right bank of the
1 Dunajec, where fighting contin
j lies with great fury, it is said in
j Berlin. Repulse of Russian at
: tacks are reported at many other
! sections of the eastern front.
Grodno Is Bombarded.
According- to one official statement
the Russian fortress of Grodno has
been subjected to terrific bombard
ment. Not only has the Russian de
fense been broken at many points, but
Berlin declares "We not only forced ?.
I crossing of the Wisloka at seve'a!
1 points, but firml> put our hands on tb?
! iMjkla pass, the road and the pla- ?* .
I The Russians are said to be retreating
eastward of the Lupkow pass.
DENIES GERMANIC VICTORY.
Russian Foreign Minister Wires Con
tradiction to Embassy Here.
The Russian embassy has received 'he
following dispatch from the Russian min
! ister of foreign affairs.
? I'etrogr&d, May I :i i
"The reports from Berlin and V,. ;.:;a
j of a victory gained b.v the Germans . ? l
, Austrians in western Galicia art .? i.-???
j iutely unfounded The battles thi.-t
! proceeding now in that region ki\.? .:?>
foundation whatever 10 talk even .1
j partial success of our enemies. You
| asked to contradict most cmphaiicalh Hie
reports spread by the Germany.
"fisAZAXtlK K."
TURKS KILL ARMENIANS.
All in Constantinople Kept Under
Strict Surveillance.
LONDON. May 7.?All Armenians in
Constantinople are being kept under
the closest surveillance, according to h.
{{enters dispatch received from the
Turkish capital by way of Athens.
Many priests, doctors and merchants
have Dcen exiled to Angora <a moun
tainous province of Asia Minor?. No
others are allowed to leave the city.
Wholesale arrests have been made,
and among the notables taken into cus
tody is an Armenian member of par
liament. who has been regarded hither
to as one of the leaders of the younff
Turks.
PREDICTS SERIES OF WARS.
Dr. Ridge way Say* Evolutionary
Racial Struggles Cause Strife.
r>ONDOX, May 7. 5:05 a.m.?Dr. Wll
Ham Ridgewav. professor of archeol
ogy at Cambridge University, in an ad
dress last night before the. Eugenics
Society declared that the present war
results from evolutionary racial strug
gles.
"Hard facts, seen from a scientitle
viewpoint." said Dr. Ridgeway, "indi
cate that the present war is only the
first of a long series, and that ea>
new struggle will be more serious. The
earth's waste places are getting filled
up. and these wars are part of evolu
tionary racial struggles for existence
and not the result of mere kingly am*
I bitions."
I