Evening star., 1933-02-19
foreign iSERV|CE
TAKES HEAVY TOLL
More Than 70 Americans
Have Died in Line of Duty.
Bronze Tablet Planned.
" the Associated Press.

" the Associated Press.
Revolution and other world tragedies
have taken heavy toll among Ameri-
Can foreign service officers whose names
are to be inscribed on State Depart
ment tablet of bronze provided for In a
bill which was sent to the House of
Representatives after passage by the
Senate.
War and religious upriSings have also
accounted for fatalities in the American
personnel scattered in far-fung parts
of the world.
Since the earliest days of the United
States national existence more than 70
diplomatic and consular officers have
lost their lives under heroic or tragic
circumstances" as the tablet will set
forth, in line of duty in times of trouble
rs well as peace.
One of the most discussed deaths in
the service of more recent date was that
of Robert W. Imbrie of this CITY, vice
consul at Teheran, Persia, who in July,
1924, was killed in the street by mob
of religious fanatics, who claimed they
had mistaken the American for men,
Der of the Bahois sect, against which
the rioters were demonstrating.
Several Victims Of Murder.
Several individuals have been victims
of murder and other mysterious crimes
Earthquakes. volcanic eruptions and
hurricanes have caused number of
deaths in the service, while more than
80 have been victims of fevers and va
riouS diseases of the tropics.
One Minister died OF severe cold
weather and starvation At various
times in the 153 years since America
began sending diplomatic representa-
tives abroad eight service members have
been lost at sea, while three were
drowned endeavoring to rescue COM
panions.
The first American to die In this line
of service was Col. William Palfrey of
Massachusetts,. who in 1780 was ap-
pointed consul to reside in France"
He sailed for his post on the U. S. S.
Shillala, an armed ship Of 16 guns. The
vessel was sighted passing Delaware
Capes, but was never heard from again
Th1rty-tWo years later, during Ma
poleons retreat from Moscow, Joei Bar
low of Connecticut died while on an
official mission to meet the great leader.
Barlow, appointed Minister Plenipoten-
tiary to France early in 1911, had been
invited by Napoleon, then at the height
OF his Russian campaign, to meet him
near the Russian frontier for diplomatic
discussions.
Stricken Among Strangers.
Arriving at Wilma, now in Poland, the
American encountered the French Army
In disordered retreat toward the west
Barlow was taken sick at a nearby
village. Among strangers who could
not speak his language, the Minister
died of cold and privation on Christmas
day, 1872.
The Foreign Service Association was
prompted to consider fitting memorial
for their predecessors who had died in
line of work at the time of the death OF
Consul Giles Russell Taggart of Wood
bury, N. j.. who succumbed to pneumo-
mia contracted while serving at his post
in Belize during the hurricane and tidal
wave which swept British Honduras in
the Autumn of 1881
Going back more than 100 years, a
partial list OF officers who died under
tragic or heroic circumstances follows:
Harris F. Fudger of Massachusetts,,
consul at Santa Marta, Colombia, mur-
dered at Bogota, in August, 1926. The
legation reported Fudger was stabbed
to the heart with his own sword, his
throat cut and his trunks pillaged OF
their contents. No trace of assassins" ;"
Lost at Sea With Family.
Rounseyille Wildman of California,
consul general at Hong Kong, homeward
bound, lost at sea, February %, 1901,
with his family, when the ship Rio de
Janeiro struck hidden rock at the
entrance of the Golden Gate, San Fran
cisco. One hundred and twenty-eight
lives were lost
Thomas T. Prentis of Massachusetts,,
consul at Martinique, West Indies,
killed with his wife, May 8, 1902, by
the eruption of Mount Pelee. Another
victim of the same catastrophe was
Amedee Testart of Louisiana, vice con-
sui at Martinique.
Arthur S. Cheney of Connecticut,
consul at Messina, Italy, killed with
Mrs. Cheney on December %, 1908. in
the earthquake which partly destroyed
MesSina.
Robert Ney McNeely of North Caro-
INA, consul at Alden, Arabia, during
the war, lost at sea, with the S. S. Per-
Sla, torpedoed in the Mediterranean. in
December, 1915.
Alfred L. M. Gottschalk of New York.
consul general at Rio de Janeiro, lost at
sea IN June, 1918, while en- route to
Brazil on the U. S. S. Cyclops. All the
offlcerS and enlisted men of the Navy
on the ship have been declared officially
dead, the disappearance of the cyclops
being listed as mystery.
Max D. Kirjassoff of Connecticut.
consul at Yokohama, with his wife,
Killed in the Japanese earthquake of
September /, 1923. Paul z. jerks of
New York, the vice consul, met death
In the same disaster.
Madden Summers of Tennessee. con-
SUI general at Moscow, during the rev.
olutionary days of 1917, died at his post
In May, 1918, short time before the