Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-06-05
F. v. KELSEY
SAW GUNS ON
THE LUS|TAN|A
Orange Man Says Cunarder
Was Armed at Docks in
Liverpool.

OF interest nconnection with the
aftermath of the Lusitania sinking is
the statement of Frederick w. Kel-
| sey, of III Centre street, Orange. to
the effect that he observed the giant
Cunarder in Liverpool shortly after
| the outbreak of war openly exhibit
ing big cannon on her decks and to all
appearances a British auxiliary
cruiser. Yet when Mr. Kelsey was at
the dock in New York when the big
| liner sailed on her last voyage he
tailed to see any guns on the open
decks
| Mr.. Kelsey makes this statement in
conjunction with a suggestion TO
washington that a proclamation be
| issued that passengers do not embark
on armed vessels or ships carrying
/ munitions of war.
On Tuesday last Mr.. Kelsey sent a
telegram TO President Wilson and also
letter to United States Senator
James Hamilton Lewis in which the
suggestion was embodied.
1t is the belief of Mr.. KELSEY that in
order to prevent such tragedy as
was enacted in the Lusitania instance
warning should be issued bV this
government to prevent passage being
taken on such boats. He also argues
that arbitration is the proper way to
settle the present difficulties between
this country and Germany.
Mr.. Kelsey's telegram to the presi-
dent, who is friend of his, follows
Telegram to President.
To the President of the United
States, Washington. d. C.:
In the interest of humanity and
the ineonceivable misery of war,
would it not be helpful toward allay-
ing the war spirit, as goaded on by
many newspapers not correctly rep
senting public opinion, and prevent
ing this country from joining in the
horrible wholesale murder now going
ON in Europe, for you to issue at once
a proclamation or request that no
passengers embark on any vessel
carrying munitions of war
| And after we have boasted for
years that arbitration was the proper
way TO settle international questions.
why not meet Germany's request on
such matters as can be arbitrated d?
! Surely this administration cannot
have lost its bearings to either allow
or permit the United States to be
drawn into the great whirlpool abyss
or Worldwide slaughter and devasta-
ton. FREDERICK w. KELSEY"
AT the same time Mr. Kelsey sent a
letter to United States Senator Lewis,
in which he brings up the same sug-
gestion. He met Senator Lewis at
the recent dinner of the Woodrow
Wilson Democratic League which
was held in the Kruger Auditorium
this city. At that time Mr. KELSEY
said that he asked the senator il there
was not some law in this eountr,
which would prevent an armed mer
ehantman or vessel carrying mu
nitions of war from leaving American
ports. According TO Mr.. Kelsey, Sena.
tor Lewis said that he did not know
of any, and more recently he asked
the same question of United States
Senator James A. O'Gorman, of New
Cork, and he also was unfamiliar
with such a law.
In Germany When War Started.
Mr. Kelsey was in Germany at the
outbreak of the war. lie managed to
reach England via Holland. On Au-
gust 10, while in Liverpool waiting
for passage home, he was walking
near the docks when he noticed big
steamer which looked familiar.
II asked an officer nearby if the
vessel was the Lusitania," said Mr.
| Kelsey, land he replied in the af-
Ifirmative. But what a difference there
was. The boat was all painted brown
from the top of her smotestacks to
the water line. Clearly distinguish
able in the forward part of the ship
were five big guns protruding from
the sides. They were SO noticeable
that l asked the reason and was told
that the boat had been taken over
as an auxiliary cruiser"
Mr.. Kelsey went on to say that in
- -.
correct when it commented on the
Lusitania as an English cruiser but
that it was possible that the boat
had been given over to passenger
service later.
'hTe next time | saw the Lusitania
was on the morning that she left
New York on her ill-fated trip. |
was late in reaching the pier, sc
could not go on board. However,
walked the whole length Of the pieI
and viewed the ship from all sides
but could not see any trace of the
guns I saw before. On this occasion
the whole liner was painted black
Several days later Mr.. Malone, col
lector of the port of New York, as
sured me that the Lusitania carried
no guns.
Guns on the Adriatic,
| NH. Kelsey ldlu SlreSS OH tDe ldCl
that the Adriatic, on which he came
over from Europe, carried guns, the
first passenger vessel in the war tC
be fitted with them.
I'VE sailed August 90" he con
tinued, "and on that afternoon mer
were busy putting the cannon in
place. There were two forward ano
two aft, all big guns. We dropped
down the river that night and lay tt
for about a day until work on the
guns was completed. During the triI
over ther was much speculation al
to whether the Adriatic would b'
allowed to leave New York with thu
guns. ] understand that the boa
was allowed to sail again, the White
Star line, the owners. evidently prom
Using that they would take the can
non off ON the next trip"
Mr.. Kelsey was chairman of th'
ships committee of the Adriatic on
her trip over. The committee repre-
sented the 1000 passengers.
Child Killed by Auto He