Show M IS ASKED TO EXPLAIN questioned AS TO WHETHER STEAMERS WERE SUNK BY GERMAN submarines no action has hag been taken by the president which in any sense may be considered as a demand or a protest washington Vas hington secretary lansing with tho the approval of 0 president wilson has ambassador gerard to inquire of germany whether any of its submarines torpedoed the british bl channel iannel steamer sussex upon which twenty five american citizens were traveling or the british horse ship englishman which went down with a loss of one american life As the situation now stands the gilted lilted states has no conclusive proof that a submarine attacked either shin but all evidence at liana indicates that both were torpedoed without warning upon tho the response ot of the berlin foreign office to mr gerards inquiry may depend the next step of the american government at this time it la is made clear that no action has been taken which in any sense may be construed as a demand ora or a protest president wilson laid all tho the state departments reports on the subject before his cabinet it was after tp meeting that secretary lansing allowed it to become known that it had been determined to make an inquiry of the german government later it was learned that instructions already had been forwarded to ambassador gerard |