World's War Events Volume I Part 29

[Sidenote: Emergency precautions.]

Each man had a badge showing the number of the boat to which he was a.s.signed, and a boat list was posted in three different places in the ship. Each day of the voyage a drill was held with the emergency boat, which was a fixed boat, either No. 13 on the starboard side or No. 14 on the port side, according to the weather, the idea, doubtless, being to accustom the men quickly to reach the station on either side of the ship. The siren was blown and a picked crew from the watch a.s.sembled at the boat, put on life belts, jumped into the boat, took their places, and jumped out again.

Throughout this case it must always be remembered that the disaster occurred in May, 1915, and the whole subject must be approached with the knowledge and mental att.i.tude of that time. It may be that more elaborate and effective methods and precaution have been adopted since then, but there is no testimony which shows that these boat drills, as practiced on the voyage, were not fully up to the then existing standards and practices. There can be no criticism of the bulkhead door drills, for there was one each day.

[Sidenote: Speed reduced.]

In November, 1914, the Directors of the Cunard Company, in view of the falling off of the pa.s.senger traffic, decided to withdraw the _Lusitania's_ sister ship, _Mauretania_, and to run the _Lusitania_ at three-fourths boiler power, which involved a reduction of speed from an average of about twenty-four knots to an average of about twenty-one knots. The ship was operated under this reduced boiler power and reduced rate of speed for six round trips until and including the fatal voyage, although at the reduced rate she was considerably faster than any pa.s.senger ship crossing the Atlantic at that time. This reduction was in part for financial reasons and in part "a question of economy of coal and labor in time of war." No profit was expected and none was made, but the company continued to operate the ship as a public service. The reduction from twenty-four to twenty-one knots is, however, quite immaterial to the controversy, as will later appear.

Having thus outlined the personnel, equipment, and cargo of the vessel, reference will now be made to a series of events preceding her sailing on May 1, 1915.

On February 4, 1915, the Imperial German Government issued a proclamation as follows:

[Sidenote: The German proclamation.]

"1. The waters surrounding Great Britain and Ireland, including the whole English Channel, are hereby declared to be war zone. On and after the 18th of February, 1915, every enemy merchant ship found in the said war zone will be destroyed without its being always possible to avert the dangers threatening the crews and pa.s.sengers on that account.

"2. Even neutral ships are exposed to danger in the war zone, as in view of the misuse of neutral flags ordered on January 31 by the British Government and of the accidents of naval war, it cannot always be avoided to strike even neutral ships in attacks that are directed at enemy ships.

"3. Northward navigation around the Shetland Islands, in the eastern waters of the North Sea and in a strip of not less than thirty miles width along the Netherlands coast is in no danger.

"VON POHL, "Chief of the Admiral Staff of the Navy.

"Berlin, February 4, 1915."

[Sidenote: Submarine blockade declared.]

This was accompanied by a so-called memorial, setting forth the reasons advanced by the German Government in support of the issuance of this proclamation, an extract from which is as follows:

"Just as England declared the whole North Sea between Scotland and Norway to be comprised within the seat of war, so does Germany now declare the waters surrounding Great Britain and Ireland, including the whole English Channel, to be comprised within the seat of war, and will prevent by all the military means at its disposal all navigation by the enemy in those waters. To this end it will endeavor to destroy, after February 18 next, any merchant vessels of the enemy which present themselves at the seat of war above indicated, although it may not always be possible to avert the dangers which may menace persons and merchandise.

Neutral powers are accordingly forewarned not to intrust their crews, pa.s.sengers, or merchandise to such vessels."

[Sidenote: Protests sent by the United States.]

To this proclamation and memorial the Government of the United States made due protest under date of February 10, 1915. On the same day protest was made to England by this Government regarding the use of the American flag by the _Lusitania_ on its voyage through the war zone on its trip from New York to Liverpool of January 30, 1915, in response to which, on February 19, Sir Edward Grey, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, handed a memorandum to Mr. Page, the American Amba.s.sador to England, containing the following statement:

[Sidenote: British reply to American protest.]

"It is understood that the German Government had announced their intention of sinking British merchant vessels at sight by torpedoes without giving any opportunity of making any provisions for saving the lives of noncombatant crews and pa.s.sengers. It was in consequence of this threat that the _Lusitania_ raised the United States flag on her inward voyage and on her subsequent outward voyage. A request was made by the United States pa.s.sengers who were embarking on board her that the United States flag should be hoisted, presumably to insure their safety."

The British Amba.s.sador, the Hon. Cecil Spring-Rice, on March 1, 1915, in a communication to the American Secretary of State regarding an economic blockade of Germany, stated in reference to the German proclamation of February 4:

[Sidenote: British statement on the submarine blockade.]

"Germany has declared that the English Channel, the north and west coasts of France, and the waters around the British Isles are a war area and has officially notified that all enemy ships found in that area will be destroyed, and that neutral vessels may be exposed to danger.

This is in effect a claim to torpedo at sight, without regard to the safety of the crew or pa.s.sengers, any merchant vessel under any flag.

As it is not in the power of the German Admiralty to maintain any surface craft in these waters, this attack can only be delivered by submarine agency."

[Sidenote: Submarines sink merchant ships.]

Beginning with the 30th of January, 1915, and prior to the sinking of the _Lusitania_ on May 7, 1915, German submarines attacked and seemed to have sunk twenty merchant and pa.s.senger ships within about 100 miles of the usual course of the _Lusitania_, chased two other vessels which escaped, and damaged still another.

It will be noted that nothing is stated in the German memorandum as to sinking enemy merchant vessels without warning, but, on the contrary, the implication is that settled international law as to visit and search and an opportunity for the lives of pa.s.sengers to be safeguarded will be obeyed, "although it may not always be possible to avert the dangers which may menace persons and merchandise."

As a result of this submarine activity, the _Lusitania_ on its voyages from New York to Liverpool, beginning with that of January 30, 1915, steered a course further off from the south coast of Ireland than formerly.

[Sidenote: Precautions in danger zone.]

In addition, after the German proclamation of February 4, 1915, the _Lusitania_ had its boats swung out and provisioned while pa.s.sing through the danger zone, did not use its wireless for sending messages, and did not stop at the Mersey Bar for a pilot, but came directly up to its berth.

The pet.i.tioner and the master of the _Lusitania_ received certain advices from the British Admiralty on February 10, 1915, as follows:

"Vessels navigating in submarine areas should have their boats turned out and fully provisioned. The danger is greatest in the vicinity of ports and off prominent headlands on the coast. Important landfalls in this area should be made after dark whenever possible. So far as is consistent with particular trades and state of tides, vessels should make their ports at dawn."

[Sidenote: Advices from the British Admiralty.]

On April 15 and 16, 1915, and after the last voyage from New York, preceding the one on which the _Lusitania_ was torpedoed, the Cunard Company and the master of the _Lusitania_ received at Liverpool the following advices from the British Admiralty:

"Confidential Daily Voyage Notice 15th April, 1915, issued under Government War Risks Scheme.

"German submarines appear to be operating chiefly off prominent headlands and landfalls.

Ships should give prominent headlands a wide berth.

"Confidential memorandum issued 16th April, 1915:

[Sidenote: Fast steamers follow a zigzag course.]

"War experience has shown that fast steamers can considerably reduce the chance of successful surprise submarine attacks by zigzagging--that is to say, altering the course at short and irregular intervals, say in ten minutes to half an hour. This course is almost invariably adopted by warships when cruising in an area known to be infested by submarines. The underwater speed of a submarine is very slow and it is exceedingly difficult for her to get into position to deliver an attack unless she can observe and predict the course of the ship attacked."

Sir Alfred Booth, Chairman of the Cunard Line, was a member of the War Risks Committee at Liverpool, consisting of ship owners, representatives of the Board of Trade and the Admiralty, which received these instructions and pa.s.sed them on to the owners of vessels, including the Cunard Company, which distributed them to the individual masters.

[Sidenote: Advertis.e.m.e.nt in the New York papers.]

On Sat.u.r.day, May 1, 1915, the advertised sailing date of the _Lusitania_ from New York to Liverpool on the voyage on which she was subsequently sunk, there appeared the following advertis.e.m.e.nt in the New York "Times," New York "Tribune," New York "Sun," New York "Herald," and the New York "World," this advertis.e.m.e.nt being in all instances except one placed directly over, under, or adjacent to the advertis.e.m.e.nt of the Cunard Line, regarding the sailing of the _Lusitania_:

"Travelers intending to embark on the Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of war exists between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and her allies. That the zone of war includes the waters adjacent to the British Isles. That in accordance with formal notice given by the Imperial German Government, vessels flying the flag of Great Britain or of any of her allies are liable to destruction in those waters, and that travelers sailing in the war zone on ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk."

"IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBa.s.sY, "April 22, 1915. Washington, D. C."

This was the first insertion of this advertis.e.m.e.nt, although it was dated more than a week prior to its publication. Captain Turner, the master of the vessel, saw the advertis.e.m.e.nt or "something of the kind"

before sailing, and realized that the _Lusitania_ was included in the warning. The Liverpool office of the Cunard Company was advised of the sailing and the number of pa.s.sengers by cable from the New York office, but no mention was made of the above quoted advertis.e.m.e.nt. Sir Alfred Booth was informed through the press of this advertis.e.m.e.nt on either Sat.u.r.day evening, May 1, or Sunday morning, May 2.

[Sidenote: _Lusitania_ justified in sailing.]

The significance and construction to be given to this advertis.e.m.e.nt will be discussed infra, but it is perfectly plain that the master was fully justified in sailing on the appointed day from a neutral port with many neutral and non-combatant pa.s.sengers, unless he and his company were willing to yield to the attempt of the German Government to terrify British shipping. No one familiar with the British character would expect that such a threat would accomplish more than to emphasize the necessity of taking every precaution to protect life and property which the exercise of judgment would invite.

And so, as scheduled, the _Lusitania_ sailed, undisguised, with her four funnels and a figure so familiar as to be readily discernible not only by naval officers and marines, but by the ocean-going public generally.

[Sidenote: In the submarine war zone.]