The Washington herald., 1915-06-03
Swear LUSITANIA
| CARRIED Cannon
Four Depose that Boat Was
Equipped with Guns Con-
cealed Below Deck.
OFFICIALS START PROBE
Government Holds Reports. Even if
Correct. Would Not Justify
Sinking.

Evidence submitted to the State De.
partment BY the German Ambassador vi
support of the German foreign office cen
tention that the Lusitania carried two
masked guns concealed below her deck
included certain affiGavits. one of these
affidavits. the principal one. was by
Gustav Stahl. of ~ lie Roy street. New
! York city. who dcpos"s as follows:
''On the day prior to the sailing Of the
| LGsitania," dcpoScs Stahl. II was asked
! by nv friend. a. Lietch. who was en-
ployed as first cabin steward. to help
him to bring his trunk aboard. IN the
| course of the evening; We went on board
without being hindtrcd 10y the quarter
master guard.
| After having remained some time in
|, the gloria stewards quarters we went
| to the stern main deck. About fifteen or
| eighteen feet from the entrance to the
| gloria on port and star!'oard. rcspec-
| lively. ! saw two guns of twelve and
| fifteen centimetcrs. They were covered
with leather but the barrel was distinct
| " to be seen. To satisfy my curiosity
i unfastenc the buckles To ascertain the
| Caibcr of the guns. J could also ascer-
! tain that the guns were mounted on deck
on wooden blocks. The guns were placed
| about three feet from the ships sides and
| the wall could he removed at that PAL
ticular place.
Two Guns on FOredeck.
"On the foredeCk there were also two
guns of the same caliber and covered
in the same manner. They were placed
| at about fifteen TO twenty feet from the
entrance of the crews quarters and four
feet from the ships side
Josephine Weir. a New York boarding
house keeper. swears in another affidavit
that Leitch, who is referred to in Stahl's
sworn statement. remarked to her that
he was going to sail on the Lusitania as
a steward. She mentioned the danger
from German submarines. and according
to the affidavit he replied:
.Oh. I'm not afraid: We have four big.
brightly polished copper guns
Another affidavit submitted by the Ger
man Ambassador to the State Depart
ment is signed by one Grieve. who de
poses that he heard Leitch make this
statement to Mrs. Weir.
a fourth affidavit. presenting the state
ment of a man named BruCker. says he
saw a cannon on the Lusitania while
standing on the dock
The State Department has referred
these affidavits TO the Department of Jus
tice. which will investigate them and also
the German charges generally that the
Lusitania carried guns. Government Off
Cials said that this reference of the affi-
no wise indicated that this government
intended to discuss them with the Ger
man government. but merely represented
the routine course of investigation which
the government makes in such matters.
Interesting Question Raised.
The German affidavits. however. raise
ar interesting question more sub
sta initial basis than II has roster up to
this time. The United States has con- |
tended that the Lusitania did not carry |
guns Customs Collector Malone official |
y reporter that the Lusitania had no
guns mounted. unmounted. or masked. |
when il left New York. Since the Lusi- !
tania was sunk. Collector Malone has |
been summoned to Washington and has !
repeated to the President that from the |
examination bv his inspectors he was sat |
isfied that the Lusitania not only did not |
have guns on board. but had not even |
any impla cements therefor.
The United States has refused to ac-
thus far that even if the Lus-
ta mia did have two mounted guns that |
this would constitute a Justification for
the German submarine attack. The view
of this Government is that such guns
would be merely for defensive purposes,
and the State Department ruled early in
The war that the carrying of guns for
defensive purposes would be permissible.