Show I A B IN El ON SUSSEX I IT ACK Washington Makes Make Inquiry L as s to Sinking of Cha Channel nel ILiner Liner iner and Asks Berlin If I Boat U-Boat U Is Responsible I 1 WASHINGTON March 28 ahe The lie United States has inquired through Ambassador dor Gerard whether any of its S submarines torpedoed the British channel steamer Sussex Secretary Lansing announced after t the e cabinet meeting today that it had been heen decided to make such an inquiry and later it was learned that the in inquiry inquiry in- in had been made md in fact probably is already in n Berlin The The present status of or communication ton tion is th that of an Inquiry it has not advanced to the stage of a protest pretest or ora ora a demand The The president and cabinet members were iree eJe furnished furnish d with all reports concerning concerning concerning con con- the disaster which had reached the state department from diplomatic am ana consular representatives tives S in France and England 4 Evidence Not Conclusive I Members of the cabinet said th that tha t. t evidence in possession of the United States was not conclusive to warran warrant decisive action at this tim time For this thi reason it was decided to make in inQuiry inquiry ot or Germany A f A majority of th e. e cabinet members however vever believed preliminary clearl b indicate licate Sussex was torpedoed v Although the majority of the th cabnet cab cabi- cabi- cabi net m members present thought the pus us- us sex bad been torpedoed some agreed ed that the lie position of the he United States State would he surrounded with difficulty r unless unIes the sinking of the vessel were admitted or unless overwhelming ev evI dence ence should be obtained One cabi cabi- er thought the ship had by a mine Secretaries Lane and McAdoo MAdoo were not present an iL t is said that President Wilson i is seriously considering laying the who e u marine situation before congress congress' personally Bernstorff Absent Bernstorff who ha has been n Ii a away way for several days was due to return today and it was expected he would consult with Secretary Lansing Lan sing over the tIle situation Awhile While cabinet mem members ers declared th the situation grave graye they took the position that a break with Germany was no noan not an immediate 1 prospect It was said sale h However wever that f if Germany admitted t torpedoing the Sussex a situation W would uld be brought about which would b serio serious s. s Cabinet members agreed that the de decision decision decision de- de would depend much upon Germanys Germany's Germanys Germany's Germanys Germany's Ger Ger- many's reply to the American inquiry Should Germany deny that one of he her submarines attacked the Sussex S th the I American government would wOl reach it its I Ic c conclusion from the evidence now being be be- ing collected by its diplomatic representatives 1 abroad I Iek Seek ek Full In Information formation r members said the decision decision t to nike make an inquiry of Germany was in inline line with the policy of ot collecting alth al all aU aUth th Information before a decision was reached Should Germany admit the attack bu but bu claim the submarine commander I exceeded his orders officials believed that it would be regarded as evidence that It was was impracticable for commanderS to attempt to distin distin- distinguish between armed and un unarmed vessels he possibility that the atta attack k on the Sussex might lead to a general clearing clearing clear clear- ing LOg ingup up ot of the submarine issue was discussed discussed discussed dis dis- dis- dis cussed at th the cabinet meeting KB AMSTERDAM f Via L London March 28 The 8 The discussing continuance of ot Germanys Germany's s submarine warfare policy says The The imperial chancellor will speak at one of the sessions of the budget committee which is to discuss the resolutions on submarine warfare proposed pro posed by the Conservative the National Na Na- Liberal and the the Centre par par- ties He will explain certain cues cues- and will thoroughly convince the representatives of the nation It must that a responsible statesman states states- man is jn jn in a difficult position toward Continued on pa page e 2 I S CABINET ACTS ON Continued from page 1 the great public for there are arc things things which It Is impossible to make maka pUblic public pub pUb- lic lie much less to discuss publicly In such a situation the question of how much confidence a statesman enjoys is of vital importance The near future fu ture will show whether Dr von Beth- Beth mann Hollweg the Imperial chap chancellor chancel eel lor br enjoys public confidence and to what extent Among the politicians of Germany opinion regarding the chancellor is not by any any means united The newspaper declares declares' that military military mili mili- tary criticism is not directed against military commanders or against the emperor but solely against the emperors emperor's cm em advisers It says Regarding political successes opinions opinions opinions ions are divided Only recently on the occasion of the sinking of the Tu many doubts arose as to whether what had achieved politically politically po po- po- po Uti cally corresponded to our great military success The adds The American danger as viewed In InGerman InGerman inGerman German political circles is always greatly exaggerated but the importance importance importance import import- ance of a rupture of relations with such sucha a powerful nation should not be underestimated under under- S estimated LONDON March 28 The The British agents of th the company which operated the steamship Sussex said today the total of casualties was not expected to exceed fifty I |