Washington, Sept. 5.
President Roosevelt told the press. yesterday that American passengers. aboard the British liner Athen! which was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of Scotland carly Sunday had right to expect immunity from an unexpected submarine attack.
"He said an international Law con vention to which Germany subscribed had promised this immunity.
By inference the President warned European nations against careless attacks on American merchant vessels transporting United States citizens out of the European war zone.
Mr. Roosevelt. said the American Ambassador in London, Mr. Joseph Kennedy, had not yet reported whether the Athenia had been tor-pedeed.
The President's warning agaist careless attacks at sea followed a recommendation from the Federal Maritime Commission to. American nierchantmon not to take a zig-zag course at sea or blackout their ship night. The Commission advised American ships to paint United States fags on several parts of their ships to minimize the danger of a submarine
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.