Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-13
OFFICIALS CONFER
0NLANGDON DEATH
Daniels Gets State Depart
ment Aid in Case of Officer
. Shot by Japanese.

: Secretary Daniels conferred today
: with Acting Secretary Davis of the
: state Department in an effort to ex-
+. ussiite complete official reports of the
: killing of Lieut.. W. II. I.angdon of
: tho American cruiser Albany. by
= Japapese sentry at Vladivostok.
: After the conference, Mr.. Davis said
Z the State Department was seeking the
= fullest reports from its agents at
= Nladiyostok. The American ronsui
. there already has been asked for a
F.. ceiyed yesterday, but no reply has
= Yet come from him. Meantime the
: Navy Department is endeavoring I"
: get fuller reports from naval officials
: at the Siberian port.
+. Explanations Of AFFAIR.
!. Whether a protest will be lodged
. vi th the Japanese foreign office viii
. depend upon the facts as developed
T. by the Investigations now in progress.
: ~ was said at the State Department.
: an the basis of such official and un-
Z csficiai information as has been re-
: reived. some officials are inclined to
9 regard the shooting as the act of an
excitable sentry.
- REPORTS received by the American
government agencies thus Tar. how
Ever. do not coincide with the official
Japanese army reports that the Amer
al Al
! ON the sentry. The report to the Navy
4 department received yesterday said
. that Langdon. in a statement Just be-
Itore his death. had said he only re.
Z. turned the Sentry's fire after he mad
e been shot in the back.
story Told In Reports.
The re pcTts to the Navy Department
> showed the shooting occurred at
sii.isht in front of the Japanese divi-
stsion headquarters. the Americans
death following a few hours later at
"a hospital.
>. suspicious were aroused when he saw
1.-The officer flashing a hand lamp aud
! tslled upon him to halt. The officer
]. replied. he said, by firing r. revolver
at him. This he returned with rifle
,shct. after which the officer fired twice
lat him. The sentry ran back to call
the guard. and when he returned the
!. American had gone.
Lieut.. Langdon said he was halted
by the sentry. replied TO question
This way. He had gone only few
fleet. he said, when the sentry fired
.,at him. the ball striking him in the
hack. AT which he turned and fired
.wo revolver shots. The report fur
1 'her stated Langdon was in full uni
: form and that his clothing and the
wound itself showed he had been shot
an the back. the bail passing out at
ihe left side OF the chest.
- The dispatches from both Admiral
t:leayes and Consul Mcgowan said
the Japanese officials a. Vladivostok
were showing every evidence of re-
kret and had offered every assistance
In their power to clear up the trag-
tdy.
japanese CoAcernes.
!. A message to the Japanese en-
hassy here said the Japanese govern.
Snent ana people were greatly con-
Serned over the incident. and that
The Japapece comnandant at Vladi-
Sostok had expressed regret to the
commander OF the Albany, Of which
Lieut.. Langdon WAS chief engineer.
Gen. Sato's statennen
~ the Associated rress.
- TOXIC. January 1.-THE Japanese
ofSfcial report OF the fatal shooting OF
Lieut.. ". n. Lansdon, chief engineer
by Japanese sentry at Vladivostok.
In the early morning of January 3,
agrees With the Japanese press re-
ports that the sentry's shot was pre-
2eded by a revolver attack upon the
. sentry. according to Maj. Gen. sato
A bullet from Lieut.. Lan8den's re-
roiver passed through the sentry's
sleeve. ana after firing the shot the
lieutenant ran on and was shot in
Inc back. tho general said the report
stated.
beins court.martialed: it is an.
tnander at Tladivostok. Immediately
Sent the officers Of the Albany an ex-
preston Of his regret. and tho min
fster of war also cabled his regrets.