Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 March 1917 — WAR MAY FOLLOW GERMANY’S ACT [ARTICLE]

WAR MAY FOLLOW GERMANY’S ACT

I Sinking of Three American Ships May Cause War Declaration-—M icy 1 5 Send Out U-Boats. London, Mairch 18.—The sinking of the American steamships City of Mehphis, Illinois and Vigilancia was announced today. Fourteen men from the Vigilancia are missing, as are some of the men from the City of Memphis. The crew of the Illinois was iarfded safely. The City of Memphis in ballast from Cardiff for New York, was sunk by fire. The second officer and fifteen men of the crew have bsen landed. A patrol boat has gone in search of the other members of the crew. The Illinois, from London for Port Arthur, Texas, in ballast was sunk at 8 o’clock this morning. The Vigilancia was torpedoed without warning. The submarine did not appear. The captain, first and second mates, first, second and third engineers and twenty-three men of the crew have been landed at the Scilly islands The fourth engineer and thirteen men are missirtg. New Yorfc, March 18.—. Forty-eight men who were Americans by birth or naturalization, and nine otheirs, several of whom were believed to be naturalized Americans, comprised the crew of the American freight steamship City of Memphis, reported from London today as having been sunk by shell fire. The vessel itself, valued at $600,000, had weathered safely many adventures in European waters on previous voyages since the w T ar began.