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Show tm9 I Washington Notilied of Thresher's Dei in Sinking of Falaba State Department Calls for a Full Report on All Circumstances In Caie Washington, April 1. Iloports that nu American lifo had been lost In tho war zoiio around tho British Isles wero brought olllclnlly to tho ntten tlon of tho Washington government today when Ambassador I'ngo nnd consul (ionoral Skinner nt London cabled that Leon C. Thresher, nn American mining man, wns supposed to have been drowned ln tho destruction destruc-tion of tho Hrltlsh liner Falaba by a (ionium submarine Tho reports merely transmitted tin olllclal statements nnd instructions woro sent, Immediately to both officials of-ficials to begin un investigation nnd report promptly. No nctlon will bo taken by tho government until this olllclul version of Thresher's denth has been recolvcd and nil tho facts surrounding tho destruction ot tho Falaba hava been carefully scrutinized. No Inquiries from relatives or friends of Thresher In this country have reached tho state department and until today tho case had not coino to tho attention ot olllclals except through press dispatches, Olllclals had llttlo doubt tho subject sub-ject would form tho basis of ropro scntatlous to Germany. In Its note nftor Gormnny's forolgn proclamation proclama-tion tho Washington government no tilled tho Gorman foreign olllco that It would feel compelled to hold that government to "strict accountability" for tho loss of Amoricnn lives or property through tho operations of submarines ngaliikt Hrltlfh merchant shipping. i |
