SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17629, 5 December 1922, Page 7

SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA.

WAR TIME TRAGEDY RECALLED. NEW YORK CUSTOMS OFFICIAL'S REPORT. (By Cable—Pros? Association—Copyright.) (Australian and 2s.'L. Cable Association.) (Received December 4th, 9.3 p.m.) NEW YORK, December 4.

The "New York World" publishes n. copy or' the report which Mr Dudley Field Malone, Collector of Customs of the port of New York under President Wilson's administration, made to the State Department concerning the character of the cargo of the Lusitania when she left this port on the trip which ended in her being torpedoed. Mr Malone explains that thousands of enquiries have been made for information from various organisations throughout the world, that, the State Department could not publish the report because it was part of its archives, and therefore secret, and that he considers the present time opportune for publication.

The report reveals that the Lusitania carried neither masked nor unmasked guns, neither Canadian troops nor troops of any nationality, and no explosives, but she did carry 5400 cases of small-arm ammunition, fuses, shrapnel cartridges, and shell castings for foreign ammunition. This was carried under a ruling of the United States Department of Commerce in forco since 1911. The Department of Commerce ruling stated that the results of tests justified beyond doubt the conclusion that small arms ammunition might bo transported without, restriction in steamers carrying passengers. Mr Malone's report further states that in tho Lusitania's structure at certain points bases were laid for the mounting of guns of six inches calibre upon an Admiralty order, so that, should the Lusitania be called on for service in tho British Navy, she would be more readily adaptable for naval purposes. The bases at all times wero, however, covered with deck planking, showing tho falseness of tho assertions that guns wero mounted when she sailed on her last voyago.

The report furthor indicates that the vessel was most carefully examined for tho purpose of seeing whether violations of neutrality had been made, and the vessel passed a complete tost by competent inspectors as being within the requirements of tho American neutrality law. [The Ounard liner Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk on May 7th, 1915, with the loss of nearly 1200 lives. Boforo this ship loft America it had been openly boasted by Germans there that sho would never roach England. Many intending passengers received individual warning, and most of tho New York newspapers printed an advertisement to that effect. The ship left to schedule time, however, with 1257 passengers and a crew of 702. On the morning of May 7tli, 1915, when off the Irish coaßt, speed was reduced to 18 knots in order that the ship might reach the Mersey at a suitable time on the following day, and she was steaming at this speed when, shortly after two o'clock in the afternoon, she was struck on the starboard side by two torpedoes fired in quick succession. Lord Mersey in his report said: "Both these torpedoes were discharged by a German submarine from a distance variously estimated at from 200 to 500 yards. No warning of any kind was given. The Lusitania, on being struck, took a heavy list to starboard, and in less than twenty minutes she sank in deep water. A total of 1198 men, women, and children were drowned." The sinking of the Lusitania, which horrified most of the civilised world, caused great jubiliation in Germany, where a special medal was struck to commemorate the event. The German excuse for sinking the ship was that she was armed; but this was not only denied by the American Customs officers who were responsible for her clearance from New York, but one Gustav Stahl, who swore an affidavit that he saw four guns mounted on board, pleaded guilty 1 to a charge of perjury in New York, and was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.]