Evening journal., 1915-05-08
1S46 PASSENGERS, INCLUDING MANY AMERICANS, LOSE LIFE
WHEN LUSITANLA is TORPEDOED BY GERMAN SUBMARINE
WASHINGTON NOTE TO BERI LIN TODAY EXPLANATION
AMERICANS DEAD,
Washington ASKS
FOR explanation
By The United Press.

By The United Press.
WASHINGTON, May s.-The State
Department today asked Berlin for a
report on the Lusitania disaster. II
expressed n desire that IL be based
on the statement of the submarine
commander who made the attack-
assuming that the liner was sunk by
a submarine.
In effect, the Kaiser's foreign Of
fce was asked II Germany was re-
sponsible for the Lusitania's loss,
with that OF Americans on board. II
so. full details we're wanted.
The request was directed 20 im-
] bassad0r Gerard in Berlin to be pre-
/ scented 10 the German foreign office.
Aside from this announcement, Sec
retary Of State Bryan said;
"All we need 10 tell the public Is
that we are arriving AT the facts as
fast as possible and doing everything
possible for the injured"
Pressed for details, the secretary
admitted he had heard someone on
the Lusitania say he saw = sub
marines periscOpe, seemingly hearing
out the theory that the vessel was
tOrpedOed.
lie would not partlcularize further
The desirabiliiy Of making a state
ment concerning the international
legal aspects Of the ease was urged on
him. hut. for the time. he refused It.
kind of strained calm prevailed in
official circles.
Except what Secretary Bryan said
no statement concerning the Lusi
tania case was Obtainable. The White
House and executive departments
were silent.
Nobody pretended. however. to have
anything hut The liners destruction
and is possible effect IN this countrl
on his mind.
Just how soon n cabinet meeting
would he called 10 consider the sltua'
- tiOn could not be learned. The Presi.
dent spent the forenoon on the g0ll
links. Secretary Bryan cancelled an
engagement 30 attend n dinner with
other nOtables this afternoon nj
Bryan's Point, near Mount Vernon.
: Secretary Garrison indefinitely post
poned trip through Tennessee and
! Alabama, on which he was 10 have
started tonight.
Officials all said they thought II a
bad time to be away from their
posts.
Il was tacitly understood that the
administration had not definitely de-
cided on a course and would not do
so until all facts were in hand
There seemed to be an undercur-
rent of feeling. however. that there
| Tn4
do.
/ Chairman Stone, Of the Senate For
eign Relations Committee. who was
not so reticent as executive officials,
said openly that the Lusltania, Rrit-
ish ship. was subject to German at
tack, Just as German ships were sub
iect % attack by the British, and
that Americans who took passage on
it, did so at their own risk.
There was no reason for the ad-
ministration to change its policy, he
said.
Chairman Flood. of the Foreign
Relations Committee of the House,
was heard from his home at Appoma-
tox. but would say no more than that
the situation was serious-he must
know more details before comment
ing further.
To secure these details every ef-
fort was being made.
Besides the State Departments re-
quest for information from Germany,
Ambassador Page, at London, and
| Consul Frost, at Queenstown, had
been instructed to furnish all obtain
able particulars by cable as speedily
as they could.
Confidentially. high officials az
mitted that what they feared most
was the effect OF the Lusitania Incl
dent on American public opinion.
They were apprehensive so much
feeling might be created as 10 add
greatly to the governments difficult
ties in adhering to a strict neutrality
policy.
"Omcially," all that could GER
tainly be said of the administration 5
, attitude was waiting" one, with
, the indications favoring a final decis-
ion whatever might develop, that
there was no definite action the gov
ernment could take.