Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-07-17
Attaches No Blame to Gu
nard Line or Skipper for
Disaster
LUSITANIA q s
UN, 4 4EDrvESSEE
Torpe .rsd BY German submariss
: 20 Have Been Responsible For
Destruction e@ ehip.-Aes cems~itaed
With "lntsnt 70 Dsstroy livsa~ %
Passengers. - american Interested
in Proceedings Ars Disappointed.

LOndon, July 1I-TOSpO0oOO 0xoO
by submarine Of German nationality
caused tho loss Of the steamship Lusi-
tanta and it's passengerA according to
the finding of the court OF invsstiga-
ton. Tho court held that no blame
for the tragedy attached either 70 Cap
tain Turner. OF tho Lusitania, or tho
Cunard line. the owners.
After having carefully inquired into
the circumstances OF the disaster"
says the formal report of the court
''the court finds the loss OF said ship
and lives was due to damage caused
the ship by torpedoes fred by . sub.
marine OF German nationality.
In the opinion OF the court the act
was done not merely with the inten-
ton OF sinking tho ship. but also with
the intent of destroying tho lives OF the
people on board"
Other salient features OF the report
are that the life boat ana life belt ia
cilities were adequate; that tho de-
meanor Of tho crew was above all
blame and that the conduct Of tho pas
sengers. barring q slight panic when
the steerago passengers came on deck.
was praiseworthy.
luSitAnaA was OnaemOo.
The court also found that the ship
was unarmed and that her cargo was
a general one. the ammunition consist
ing only Of 5000 cases of cartridges
from which there was no explosion.
A small gathering composed almost
entirely Of survivors OF the LusitAniai
and their relatives listened to tho rsad-
l Ing of the findings by Baron Aersey.
| Of Toxteth.
The report was distinct AiSappufnt.
ment to the Americsn survivors who
expressed indignant surprise. n the
portion which exonerated Captain Tur-
ner and the Cunsrd limo from all
| blame and commended tho discipline
| OF the crew.
Several attorneys representing Am-
| erican clients listened closely TO the
reading OF the Judgment which may
have great effect on actions brought
against the steamship company.
Among the spectators were Walter
Webb Ware, representing the vander-
bIlt family: Major Warren Pearl ana
| Mrs Pearl OF New York. and F. B.
Jenkins. Of Chicago. survivors; and
| william Crlchton, OF New York. whose
wife was lost.
Expected Criticism Of Line.
| Before the reading began. Major
Pearl expressed tho opinion that the
decision would sharply condemn tho
officers Of the ship and OF the Cunard
line for negligence.
mo doubt there were mishaps In
handling the ropes Of the boats" Lord
| Mersey said. but In my opinion there
| was no incompetence or neglect
Lord Mersey found that Captain
Turner was fully advised by the Brit
| ish admiralty as to the best course to
follow and added that In some respects
he did not follow these out. The court
pointed out however. that the admir-
altv instructions were not intended to
prevent Captain Turner from exer-
clsing his individual Judgment and that
his failure to follow the admiralty adj
vice to the letter was no reason for
blame.
The reduction Of the Lusitania's
speed from PAN to 21 knots still left
! the vessel faster than any other boat
on the Atlantic. said Baron Mersey.
! and he found there was no reason to
blame the Cunard company for this
economy in war times.
| relative to the admiralty instruc-
tions. the court said this phase OF tho
inquiry was in camera and that II
| WOulQ De Cputlo8y " PeSAAS -
discuss It.
Both Of these were discharged by
a German submarine from; 3 distance
var,ously estimated at from 200 to 500
wards. No warning OF any kind was
given" says the report.
German Government Assailed.
i Lord Mersey bitterly assailed the
iGerman government, saying the act
was "a murderous attack because 1t
was made with deliberate and wholly
unjustitlable intention Of killing the
people on board"
or tho testimony Of n second cabin
passenger, a witness describing him
self as French subject. who stated
that he had heard an explosion similar
to the rafting OF q Maxim gun. Lord
Mersey said:
.I do not believe this gentleman. His
demeanor was very unsatisfactory and
ther. was &c confirmation Of his story.
It may be worth nothing that a.eith.
the Mareoni operator. who was In the
second dining room. speaks of but one
larnlosion I'm my opinion there was