The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-02-11
BR|T|SH.L|NER
n FLIES U. S. FLAG
Lusitania Uses Emblem to Safe.
guard Americans.
SUBMARINES ARE REPORTED
Two Underwater Craft Had Been
~ sighted-Aet Defended by
e England,

London, Feb. S,--The British steam
ship Lusitania of the Cunard line
which sailed from New York January
80 and arrived at Liverpool Saturday
afternoon. flew the American flag from
THE time she passed Queenstown un
It'll she entered the Mersey.
This is vouched for by American
passengers who crossed the Irish sea
aboard the vessel
Warned Of Submarines.
The Lusitania received a wireless
message from the Baltic of the White
Star line that two submarines had
been sighted from that vessel
Lusitania passengers who came
lon to London said the submarines
We're believed to be German vessels,
and the action of the Lusitania in
hosting the American flag was one
effect of the newly announced policy
of Germany to sink all British mer-
chantmen found within the sea war
zone" delimited in the German ad-
miralty's proclamation of blockade
OF the British Isles.
After the Lusitania was warned of
submarines while off Queenstown
Capt Patrick Dow had the steamships
crew prepare lifeboats for instant use
If necessary.
Captain Defends His Act.
The captain of the Lusitania, in re-
ply to question of one of the pas
sengers, declared he had right to fly
the flag of a neutral country for the
protection of neutral passengers and
mails which his ship was carrying.
Z After being delayed by heavy
storms. which raised seas deck high
and injured II passengers. the Lusi-
tania arrived off Queenstown.
The vessel cruised off the Irish port
two hours without picking up pilot,
as is usually done. 1t proceeded then
for Liverpool at full speed, arriving
at the Mersey channel at daybreak
with the Stars and Stripes still flying.
Will Irwin Sees Flag.
4 VIII Irwin, an American writer, says
the Lusitania carried the regulation
large American flag at the stern. with
a small American flag and mail pen
nant at the forepeak
Former United States Senator La
fayette Young, another passenger.
while he did not personally see the
flag flying. said the report of its use
was accepted as a fact by all on |
board
A British official said however, that /
inasmuch as the British government
had granted ships of other nations the
privilege of using the union jack to
escape capture it naturally felt that a
similar privilege would be granted to |
its ships in similar emergency.
Find No Law Against II.
Washington, Feb. Sin flying the |
American flag while crossing the Irish |
sea the British steamship Lusitania |
has given to some extent confirmation |
of the German admiralty statement as
to the British misuse of neutral flags. !
As defense in part of the proclama-
ton Of German zone of operations"
around the British Isles the German
statement quotes an order of the Brit
ish government dated January 81 di.
recting the substitution Of neutral
flag for the union jack in order to es-
cape capture or destruction.
There is no doubt that the United |
States government will make inquiry
about the action of the commander of
the Lusitania, though as a matter OF |
fact it involved no violation of any
rule of international law, for the rea-
SON that there is no rule covering the
practice.