Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-11-01
INFORMATION IS
ASKED REGARDING
MARINA TRAGEDY
Secretary Lansing InStruCtS
American Embassy at Ber-
lin to Secure Germany'S
Version of Incident,

r.v 1osHns JousSAl SPECIAL ls,ssD ~'Rn

Washington, oct. 3l-Germany has
been asked to furnish the United
States any information the imperial
government may have concerning the
sinking by submarines of the British
steamers Marina and Rowanmore. The
request was forwarded, it became
known tonight, through the American
embassy 1T Be~n. -
It is understood the state depart
ment took this step without waiting
for full reports from British sources
and survivors Of the ships, because it
was considered desirable to assemble
at the earliest possible moments in
formation, particularly regarding the
Marina, on which several American
horse-tendcrs apparently lost their
lives The request is informal and is
intended i'm no sense as an intimatiOn
that German submarines have violated
international law, or the pledges of
the German government to the United
Safes. While the Marina is the first
vessel on which American lives have
been lost in the war zone since the
Sussex, and all reports so far have /
said she was attacked without warn |
ing, there was no evident tension over !
the case today in government circles /
Officials Optimistic.
Officials continued optimistic, APP
parently in the belief that the final
accounts would show that the steamer
lost her immunity as a merchantmen
by flight, or by attempting a counter
attack. As to the Rowanmore, which
admittedly sought desperately to es-
cape, there seemed to be but one point
o clear up--whether the submarine
actually fired upon boats leaving the
ihp, as alleged by survivors.
Virtually no information about
either case was given out by the state
department. during the day. Secretary
.ansing, who is handling the situation
personally, declined to say anything
urther than that his information is
Incomplete; that some reports had
.ome from London during the day
md that the affidavits of survivors
would be cablcd to the department as
Don as they could be taken,
Conflict of Reports.
So far as could be learned the de-
,artment has not been able TO clear
he discrepancy between Consul 5
rrost's provisional" report yesterday e
hat the Marina had been sunk with c
nut warning by gunfire and today's u
Unofficial adyices from England, quot c
ng the consul and others as saying
he ship was torpedoed ]
It may be a week or more before v
he German reply Is received as the
or submarines which made )
he attacks probably would not return II
o their bases and report under several )
lays. Unless there is an unreasonable
clay at Berlin no serious action will {
70 taken here pending the reply, even
hough complete information from
Their sources should make it evident
hat there must be action.
Discussion of the Marina and Ro-
cases today developed the d
act that the state department never h
as learned what punishment was i'm Il
osed by Germany upon the submar- h
ne commander who sank the Sussex il
Though Ambassador Gerard was in
tructed some time ago to make in s.
uiries on the subject A department W
fficial said that was one OF the sub. tc
'cts that would be taken up with the
when he called before !
.arting ON the return trip to Berlin
fter his vacation 1