New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-10
DENIES
LUSITANIk WAS
AN ARMED SHIP
Collector. Officially Dis
proves German Tale of
Guns Aboard Liner.

Collector Of the Port Dudley Field
Malone last night denied that when the
Lusitania left New York she carried
with her guns either mounted or un-
mounted. This contradicts the state
ment made officially by Berlin that the
Cunard liner was really a warship be-
cause Of such an armament, and the
intimation that Germany, regarding
her as an auxiliary cruiser, was justi-
fed in torpedoinC the vessel.
"The Lusitania was inspected in the
customary manner" said Collector Ma
lone. "and no guns were found on her.
ANY report that she was armed is in
correct. Beyond the goods mentioned
in the manifest, which has been made
public, nothing was carried Oh 'he
ship
In the manifest we're listed the car
tridgcs for small arms which the Lusi-
tania carried, but there was no trace
of any guns such as could have been
mounted after she left the harbor.
The inspectors examination at the
docks is as thorough as can be made
without actually opening all the snip
ments brought 10 the piers.
Not Equipped for Fight.
Tie passengers on the Cunarder, 1t
was suggested, would be the best per
so~s to ask whether she had any guns
on her last trip, but there has come
no statement from any survivor that
they were on the vessel.
Cunard officials in this city came out
ye-terday with strong denials that the
Lus,tania was armed when she ieit
New York They maintained that
neither on its last trip. nor on any trip
eincc hostilities began, has she had
mounted guns for protection against
GC.man craft.
"Anv statement that the Lusitanla
was armed for defence against hostile
attack" said Herman Winter, head OF
the passenger department OF the Cunara
! inc, "is deliberate, unfoundcd and
mnitigated lie The vessel did not
carry guns on this voyage, nor did II
ever. The only munitions Of war on
bo4Id were 2,4O0 cases OF Remington
small rife cartridges and a shipment
cf unloadcd skrapnel shells. The
cartridges were packed IN separate
metal cases and could not have injured
he vessel by exploding. They GER
tainly do not come under the classiiica-
.icn Of ammunition.
THE United States authorities would
10: permit us 10 carry ammunition,
classified AS such, on passenger liner.
This shipment was m ordinary com
merCial consignment, accepted by US
in tie course Of our business as com
mon carriers. Frequently larger quaint.
ties are taken m the ordinary run OF
commerce. and fer years We have been
-enoing small arms cartridges abroad
on the Lusitania."
Not Hurt from Within.
When asked If the shipment was not
subject 20 seizure as cOntraband, Mr.
Winter said even il il were the Ger
man government had no right 10 take
il "The lives of the men, women and
children on board were not contra
band and they had no right 70 take
them. The lusitaniA was as defence
less against undersea and underhanded
attack as n fcrryboat would be against
a dreadnought, and | cannot assert too
strongly that the report that she car
ried guns IS untrue
At the company's Offices, "a State
Street. the possibility that the Lusi-
tania might have been blown up from
within was ridiculed. and those IN
charge said they had received no word
from Great Britain which would dis
prove the story Of the torpedoing,
Only a few bulletins were received
COnligysd on page s. column