Evening star., 1915-06-03
ment. furnishing the basis for the giving
Of reparation.
Lusitauia Afidavits.

Lusitania Afidavits.
The four afidavits presented to the
State Department by the German em-
bassy alleging that guns were carried ps
the Lusitania are believed to be the EVIL
dence to which the German government
referred in its last note. Should 1t de-
velop that the foreign Office had beeh
misinformed. German diplomatists said
an acknowledgment of the mistake would
Eot be withheld.
These affidavits were not made pub
lie by either the embassy or the state
Department. but the character OF lhe
individuals who made them and their
testimony is being made the suo1ect
of a quiet investigation Those ON
cials who had seen the statements.
however. were confident that the!
could not be accepted as dlsproNihs
the testimony given by inspectors
whose duty it was to search for guns
Affidavits Produced
One of these affidavits. the principal
one was by Gustav Stahl of 20 lie Roy
street New York city, who depoSes as
follows:
"On the day prior TO the sailing OF
the Lusitania" deposes Stahl. 4 was
asked by my friend. \. f-ietch who was
employed as first cabin steward. 10
help him to bring his trunk aboard. In
the course of the evening we went on
board without being hindered pN the
quartermaster .on guard
After having remained some time
in the gloria steward : quarters we
went to the stern main deck About
fifteen or eighteen feet from the en-
trance to the gloria on port and star.
board. respectively. | saw two guns OF
twelve and fifteen centiTneterS heN
were covered with leather. but the par
rel was distinctly to he seen. 10 SitlS-
fy my curiosity | unfaStened the
buckles to ascertain the caliher of the
guns. I could also ascertain that the
guns were mounted on deck on WOODEN
blocks. The guns were placed anoui
three feet from the ships sides and
the wall could be removed at that par
ticular place.
"On the foredeck there We're also two
guns of the same caliher 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.
Told of Guns Aboard.
Josephine Weir, a New York board
ing house keeper. swears in another
aHidavit that Lietch. who is referred
20 in Stahl's sworn statement re-
marked 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 af-
f1davit, he replied:
"Oh. I'm not afraid: we have four big,
brightly polished copper guns.
Another affidavit submitted by the
German ambassador the state De-
partment is signed by one Grieve. who
deposes that he heard Lietch make
this statement to Mrs. Weir.
fourth affidavit. presenting the
statement of a man named Brucker
says he saw cannon on the Lusitania
while standing on the dock.
The State Department has referred
these affidavits to the Department of
Justice. which will investigate them
and also the German charges generally
ernment officials said that this refer
ence of the afTidavits to the Depart
ment of Justice in no wise indicate ted
that this government intended to dis
cuss them with the German govern
ment, but merely represented the rou-
tine course of investigation which the
government makes in such matters.
Messages of Advice.
Many messages are being received
at the White House suggesting. to
President Wilson the course he should
follow in the relations of the United
States and Germany. A great number
of kilograms similar in tenor came
from German-American societies in
various parts of the country urging
against any drastic action in the pres
ent crisis