Evening star., 1939-09-18
State Department
Seeks More Details
On Athena Sinkinq
28 Americans Listed
As Missing From
British Steamer
6y the Associated Press.

The State Department, disclosing
that % Americans believed to have
been on the British steamer Athe-
MIA were still unaccounted for, sought
further information today about the
sinking of the ship before taking dip
lomatic action.
American survivors of the disaster
and members of the Athena crew
have testified that the steamer was
torpedoed by submarine. German
officials have denied any of their u
boats was responsible, however, and
the department would like to have
all available information bearing
upon the attacking vessels identity
before drafting any protest.
A report of the British Admiralty
will be studied in addition to re-
ports received and made public here
from John Cudahy, United States
Minister to Ireland, and American
naval attaches in London.
Decline to Indicate Course.
Officials declined to indicate what
diplomatic course they had III mind.
There was speculation, however, that
If definite evidence as to the identity
of the submarine were not forthcom-
ing. this Government might issue a
general statement calling attention
to treaty rules of submarine warfare
and serving notice that the United
States expected compliance with
those rules.
(Soon after the sinking of the
Athena. Winston Churchill, Bri-
tains first lord of the admiralty is
sued statement saying that Ger
many had agreed to abide by the
terms of the London Naval Treaty.
That treaty provided, he added, that
except in the case of persistent re-
fusal to stop on being commanded to
do so, or of active resistance to
search, warship might not sink
a merchant ship without first
placing the passengers and crew in
place of safety)
In its announcement that %
Americans believed to have been
aboard the Athena were still miss
ing, the State Department said it
was possible that some of those listed
might have been rescued and had
failed to communicate with Off
cials. The department added that If
any relative or friend had any in
formation indicating that any of the
persons named had survived, it
would be glad to receive such in
formation.
List of Missing.
Officials said also they were unable
to say with certainty that the ad-
dresses they listed for the % were
correct.
The department listed these as
missing:
John Lucian Bernard, Somerville,
Mass; Peter Birchall, Los Angeles,
Calf; Hubert Bown, Minneapolis;
William Brown, Chicago; Mrs. Sarah
j. Burdett, Cambride, Mass. Mrs.
Margaret Campbell (no address,,
Cora and John Clark Gilroy, Detroit;
Mrs. Helen Hannah, Elizabeth, N. j.;
Ellen Harrington, South Boston,
Mass.
Robert Shenton Harris, Fred
ericksburg, Va; Mrs. Ellen Swami
Howland, Philadelphia; Bridget Nc
Erlean, Philadelphia; Margaret K.
McGoorty, Woodside, Long Island;
Alexander Nicol, Mrs Edith Nicol
and Marion Edith Nicol, North And
over, Mass; Alexander Ross Park
Philadelphia; Mrs. Annie Quine
Fullerton, Calf; Mrs. (Gertrude)
Frank George Reed, Buffalo, N Y;
Mrs. (Alice Graham William Rob-
inson, New York City: Fred Tinney,
Madison, Wis; Madeleine Tinney,
Madison, Wis; Harriet Tolley, Ponca
City, Okla; Sarah Warenreich Gun
able to IDENTIFY: Mrs. (Mathilde)
E. T. Wilkes, New York City;
Jonathan Wilkes, New York City,
and David Wright, Scarsdale, N. Y.