Evening star., 1915-06-15
.[US|TAN|A INQUIRY
BEGINS IN LONDON
British Attorney General De-
cIares Ship Unarmed, Not
Fitted as Transport.
ASSERTS TWO TORPEDOES
FIRED BY SUBMARINE
Third Projectile Believed to Have
Been Used. Also-No Warn
ing Given.

LONDON. June l5. 1906 p.m-"The
Lusitania was not armed and she never
was fitted out as transport. was one
of the remarks made by Sir Edward
Carson. attorney general in the new
cabinet, in addressing the court this
morning at the openin gof the board OF
trade inquiry into the loss of the
Cunard liner. which was sent to the
May by a German submarine, with
a loss Of over LOO lives.
Baron Mersey. president of the court
of inquiry to investigate the sinking
of the Lusitania, is assisted by Ad-
miral Sir Frederick Englefeld and
Lieut.. Commander Hearn as naval as
SCISSORS. and Capt Davies and Capt.
Speeding of the mercantile marine Al
torney General Carson and t'redercks
E. Smith represented the board or
trade. while the Cunard Company and
the passengers of the Lusitania. includ-
ing the late Alfred G. Vanderbilt. all
were represented by counsel.
Public interest in the case was evil
denced by the large number of spec
tators who crowded the court. 1t was
noted with interest that almost stimuli
taneously with the opening of the in
vestigation news was received of the
finding of two more bodies near where
the Lusitania sank One was of boy
about fourteen years old and the other
Of a man. Neither was identified.
Will Prove Lusitania Unarmed.
Sir Edward Carson. who opened for
the board Of trade, said he courted the
fullest inquiry. He was able to give
complete denial to the contention of
the German government that the Lcsi-
tania was an armed vessel carrying
guns and serving as an auxiliary to
the naval forces of Great Britain.
I'm their note to Germany" the
speaker said, "the United States al
ready have officially denied this. and
the evidence l propose to call will con-
firm and fully prove the remarks Of
the American government that the
Lusitania was not armed, and that she
never had been fitted out as a trans
port.
Without warning, a German subma-
rine fired two torpedoes at the Lusi-
tania, and 1t is believed that third
projectile also was fired Such an act
was not only contrary to international
law. but it is contrary to- the dictates
passengers in this manner was a de-
liberate attempt at murder
Certain specific information was sent
by the British admiralty by wireless
telegraphy to the Lusitania. but these
instructions are not to be made public.
and this part of the evidence is to be
taken In private.
Capt. Turner Testifles.
Capt. Turner Of the Lusitania, exam
ined by the attorney general, said the
ship was not armed. either for offense
or defense. and carried no masked
guns. The captain estimated that ton
seconds after tho Lusitania was struck
1t was impossible to stand on deck. He
said the three difficulties in rescuing
passengers were the list of the ship,
her headway, which carried her two or
three miles after being struck, and
the shortness of time.
The captain testified he had given
orders to look out for submarines and
to proceed at full speed II any were
sighted. He said the boats had been
swung out the morning Of. the day
preceding the torpedoins. Two look
outs were placed in the crows nest,
two at the bows and two officers on
the bridge. -
When asked whether the passengers
were giving help as far as they were
able. he replied: Interfering, I should
say" He added. however, that the pas
sensers showed a desire to assist in
every way possible.
Speaking of modern steamship hands,
the captain said they were not as ef-
fcient as the old-fashioned sailormen,
who would have been more effective in
the work of rescue.
At this juncture the public hearing
was suspended while tho court took
evidence in camera regarding the In
struotions of the admiralty.