Iditarod pioneer., 1915-05-15
THE LUSITANIA DISASTER

When in the spring of 1912 the steamship Titanic sunk mid ocean with appalling loss of e feeling of horror thrilled the entire world the disregard of human life displayed by the owners Of the vessel racing her through enfested waters the mad scramble speed the transatlantic trafc and also at the nsucency of eavng apparatus provided That disaster however, the result of unforeseen circumstances Who can con- ceve the horror that pervade the world the deliberately planned and executed destruction of the Lutana with loss of lite approxmang that of the greatest maritime disaster o all tune? he of that possibly created conenahon than would have been occasoned by the of disastrous military engagement which thousands of lives had been sacrificed It to be
 what effect this deliberate warfare noncobaants to have upon the nations involved and unlikely that will result further complications the difficult position which the United States finds sef The of the administration will be awaited with the greatest anxiety.
 The sinking of the Lusana will be justified by Germany upon the grounds that the vessel was violating the blockade order of the German government which had declared the waters adjacent to the British isles Without entering discussion of the question of whether passenger vessels of whatever flag should be sunk with warning of warae it be stated that neither the United States other nation has taken seriously the socaed bockad blockade order to be recognized by neutral nations be effectively maintained Not Germany will assert that
 blockade has been maintained the waters named The sinking of
 small percentage of the vessels engaged traffic to and from the British isles does constitute blockade As further extenuaton it claimed by the German that the vessel armed and that attempts have been made by merchant vessels submarines IS not all unlikely that the utana carried weapons the attack of submarines would seem like folly despatch such vessel without the of making kind of resistance IS probable however, that she seeking battle with possible antagonist
 It will also be conended that the Americans board the Lu
 tana had ample warning that the be destroyed and that they Europe their risk despite the warning of the German ambassador issued few days prior the sailing of the vessel
 This may with equal truth be said of all sangs from New York the blockade commenced Yet there have been many uninterrupted voyages since February 8 And blockade which relies threats will be recognized efecve Probably the difficult thing understand regard the horror the failure of the British afford the promised protection That vessel of the Lusana type be destroyed the very threshold of Great Britain spite of the vaunted efficiency of the British navy fact that undoubtedly will have weight determining responsibility for the disaster
 The destruction of the lives of American citizens the high under these suggests the danger of between the United States and Germany the relations between whom have been somewhat strained for time past The American statement that 1t would be difficult for the government of the United States to the American vessel the lives of American the high any other light than ndeensbe violation of neutral rights which would be hard indeed reconcile with the
 friendly relations happily ubsistng between the may taken that the danger of actual hos between the two nations not on especially of the Gulf
 light incident The of of national prominence tan the dispatches give warning of how seriously the siu aion IS viewed outside official circles.