THE SINKING OF THE "LUSITANIA" BY GERMAN TREACHERY
HOW THE DASTARDLY DEED WAS PLANNED--COMMEMORATION MEDAL PREMATURELY
DATED--SINKING ANNOUNCED IN BERLIN BEFORE THE VESSEL WAS
ATTACKED--GERMAN JOY AT THE OUTRAGE--BRITISH SECRET CODE
STOLEN--VIOLATIONS OF AMERICAN NEUTRALITY--FALSE
MESSAGES--AUTHORITY FOR THE FACTS.
So long as the memory of mortal man endures, this dastardly act of
German treachery will never be forgotten.
On May 7th, 1915, the SS. _Lusitania_, a passenger ship of 32,000 tons
of the Cunard Line, was sunk by torpedoes, fired at short range from a
German submarine off Kinsale. She carried on board 1,265 passengers and
a crew of about 694 hands. From this number 1,198 were drowned,
including 113 Americans and a large number of women and children.
It is no exaggeration to say that the event staggered the humanity of
the world, yet the _Kölnische Volkeszeitung_ on May 10th, 1915, stated:
"With joyful pride we contemplate this latest deed of our Navy," etc.
The commander of the submarine which struck the fatal blow was
decorated, and a special medal was struck in the Fatherland
commemorating the event, and dated May 5th--_two days before she was
actually attacked and sunk_.
A copy of it is now before the writer.
It was struck with the object of keeping alive in German hearts the
recollection of the German Navy in deliberately destroying an unarmed
passenger-ship together with 1,198 non-combatants, men, women, and
children.
On the obverse, under the legend "No Contraband" (_Keine Banvare_),
there is a representation of the _Lusitania_ sinking. The designer has
put in guns and aeroplanes, which (as certified by United States
Government officials after inspection) the _Lusitania_ did _not_ carry,
but he has conveniently omitted to put in the women and children, which
the whole world knows she did carry.
On the reverse, under the legend "Business above all" (_Geschäft über
alles_), the figure of death sits at the booking-office of the Cunard
Line, and gives out tickets to passengers who refuse to attend to the
warning against submarines given by a German.
This picture seeks apparently to propound the theory that if a murderer
warns his victim of his intention, the guilt of the crime will rest with
the victim, not with the murderer.
How the foul deed was plotted and accomplished is told in concise and
simple language by Mr. John Price Jones in his book entitled, "The
German Spy in America," which has an able introduction by Mr. Rogers B.
Wood, ex-United States Assistant Attorney at New York; also a foreword
by Mr. Theodore Roosevelt.
Summarising detail and extracting bare facts from Mr. Price Jones' work,
it is shown that Germany had made her preparations long before war was
declared. She had erected a wireless station at Sayville with
thirty-five Kilowatt transmitters and had obtained special privileges
which the U.S. Government never dreamed would be so vilely abused.
Soon after the declaration of war, Germany sent over machinery for
tripling the efficiency of the plant, _via_ Holland, and the
transmitters were increased to a hundred Kilowatts. The whole plant was
in the hands of experts drawn from the German Navy.
On April 22nd, 1915, the German Ambassador at Washington, by direction
of Baron von Bernstorff, inserted notices by way of advertisement
warning travellers not to go in ships flying the British flag or that of
her Allies, whilst many of the ill-fated passengers received personally
private warnings; for example, Mr. A. G. Vanderbilt had one signed
"Morte."
It is also stated than one of the German spies who had helped to
conceive this diabolical scheme actually dined, the same evening the
vessel sailed, at the home of one of his American victims.
The sinking of the vessel was also published in the Berlin newspapers
before she had actually been attacked.
On reaching the edge of the war-zone, Captain Turner, who was in charge
of the _Lusitania_, sent out a wireless message for instructions in
accordance with his special orders.
By some means unknown the German Government had stolen a copy of the
secret code used by the British Admiralty.
A copy of this had been supplied to Sayville, which used it (_inter
alia_) to warn Captain Turner against submarines off the Irish
coast--which evidence was revealed at the inquest.
Sayville was very much on the alert, looking out for and expecting
Captain Turner's request for orders.
As soon as it was picked up the return answer was flashed to "proceed to
a point _ten miles_ south of Old Head of Kinsale and run into St.
George's Channel, making Liverpool bar at midnight."
The British Admiralty also received Captain Turner's call and sent
directions "to proceed to a point _seventy to eighty miles_ south of Old
Head of Kinsale and there meet convoy."
But the British were slow and the Germans rapid. Captain Turner received
the false message instead of the genuine one, and over a thousand
unfortunate beings were sent to their doom.
At the inquest the two messages were produced and the treachery became
apparent. Further investigations pointed direct to Sayville, Long
Island, New York, to which place the plot was traced.
The German witnesses who swore the _Lusitania_ had guns aboard her were
indicted in America and imprisoned for perjury.
To use the wireless for any such cause as above described was contrary
to and in violation of neutrality laws; also of the United States of
America's statutes governing wireless stations.
In many chapters full of vivid detail Mr. Price Jones gives
extraordinary particulars of conspiracies and plots against persons and
property.
In scathing terms he condemns Captain Franz von Papen, von Igel and
Koenig, Captain Karl Boy-Ed, Captain Franz von Rintelen, Dr. Heinrich F.
Albert and Ambassador Dumba as spies, conspirators, or traitors; men
without conscience, whom no action, however despicable, would stop.