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Show NO WORD FROM BERLIN OFFICE Washington, Aug 23 Four days navo passeu since a uorman suoma-rlne suoma-rlne sunk tho White Star liner Arabic with a loss of two American lives and the American government still is without the detiiled and official information in-formation necessary to shape its course. Secretary Lansing declared that all tho Information so far in the hands of the state department was fragmentary frag-mentary and that details still were being sought Ambassador Page at London, who had forwarded by mall a detailed statement including some affidavits of American survivors, was instructed to send immediately a summary by cable Some dispatches wero received from him but they wero not made public, because It was understood tho department was unwilling un-willing to give out material it considered consid-ered incomplete. W1!ln tlin oltiintln.i 511 mnc nmolt. ing one, official quarters recorded the strain which grows hourly as no word comes from the German government The United States had clearly ox-pressed ox-pressed Its opposition to destruction of merchant ships without warning and had pointedly warned Germany against repetition of such tragedies in which Americans are involved. In tho opinion of state department officials, of-ficials, It Is not now Incumbent upon tho American government to ask Germany Ger-many for an excuse for tho conduct of tho submarine commander who sunk the Arabic. It is assumed that unless Germany wishes to make an outright Issue with the United States some Information Informa-tion will bo volunteered. Acting with that thought. Ambassador Gerard was Instructed today to report whether ho had received a report from tho German Ger-man government on the sinking of tho Arabic. lie was not however, instructed in-structed to ask for one. It Is said the state department will not necessarily wait indefinitely on Germany before taking whatever action ac-tion decided upon; neither does It Intend to invite or encouiage argument argu-ment All it wants now aro tho lacts. When these are assembled and officials of-ficials aro convinced their evidence Is properly substantial, President Wilson Wil-son will lay the case before the cabinet cab-inet No meeting has been called for tomorrow, a regular cabinet day, and all the cabinet members but three are out of the city. Several days may pass before there is a definite development devel-opment Meanwhile the situation remains re-mains unchanged. |