The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-21
LUSITANIA HERE, FLEW
UNION JACK ALL THE WAY
Passengers Say Big Cunarder Had Convoy of Five War
ships Out of Danger Zone-Secretary to Am
bassador Gerard Tells of German Insult.

The big Cunard liner Lusitania
swung around the Hook at two minutes
after 2 o'clock yesterday morning with
a long list Of prominent saloon pas
sengers sleeping peacefully under the
British flag. II was the Lusitania's use
of the stars and stripes through the
submarine area on her outward voyage
that occasioned the protesting note from
Washington to Great Britain.
This time Capt. Daniel Dow brought
the big Cunarder all the way under the
British emblem, but he is repaired to
ny the American Nag any time that he
thinks 1t will deceive "A German. lie
had a convoy OF British fighting craft
the greater part of the way-so some
passengers said. Capt. Dow, however.
would not admit it yesterday.
When the Cunarder was safely locked
Capt. Dow came down from the bridge
looking greatly relieved. Each trip is
"a continued mental strain these days,
even for a master of navigation. lie was
reticent about the flag Incident, but he
did say that the British Admiralty
had nothing to do with 1t.
Had No Admiralty Order.
"The English newspapers had II
wrong" ne said. The Admiralty did
not order me to fly the American flag.
i flew 1t myself. | had "A right to
fly it"
"And would you fly it again under
the same circumstances he was asked.
You can't tell what | might fy
before we get through with this he
replied. After lighting his black briar
and settling back in his big desk chair
Capt. Dow continued
Most of my passengers on that last
trip over We're Americans. Remember
that! | don't a to go into detail
with you about this. but | want you
TO think OF that. | did not fly the Amer
lean flag on this trip"
lie was told tina several passengers
had said that the Lusitania was con.
voyed from Liverpool by five British
warships and that she was met 500
miles from Sandy Hook by the con-
vertcd cruiser Clronia.
We'll. nothing like thai was seen
from the BRIDGE he said. land il doesn't
appear In the log. but after all I'm only
the captain Of this ship
Capt. Dow shrugged his shoulders and
had no more to say.
The Lusi,an!a brought 263 passengNrs
In the saloon, 1863 second cabin and l4O
IN the s~teerHge. She had a rough. but
otherwise uneventful voyage from the
time she left the landing stage at Liver
pool at 2:5S l.. NJ. on SATURDAY. Feb
ruary IL.
Capt Dow was in such n hurry to get
her away from the British Isles that
he did not make the customary stop TO
let off the pilot, who came all the way.
n dtSRTtIntl.1 md InWillfnp ~
stories of COnvOy Tally.
The stories of several passengers tall
He'd about the convoy of British war
ships. According to their story. as soon
as the Lusitania was well out OF the
Mersey she heade at top speed down
St. Georges Channel toward the open
sea. Then the warships began TO appear
one after the other until there were five
Of them. two on either side and one
trailing. They were there until late
Sunday night, when she was well out Of
the danger zone.
The Caronia was sighted 500 miles
east of Sandy Hook. they said. and
was not out OF sight until the Gu
harder got inside the three mile limit.
Capt. Dow's greatest reliance for pro-
lection against hostile submarines seems
TO be the speed of the Lusitauia. She
will do upward of % knots and II is
said that the best German submarines
cannot make more thar II knots even
when travelling on the surface.
Frank A.. Sieberling. president Of the
Goodrich Tire and Rubber Company.
who went over last December to urge
the British Government to lift the en-
barge on rubber. returned on the Lusi-
tania. h embargo was lifted while
he was In midoCean on the way 10
Liverpool and Mr.. Steberling and his
associates had merely to go through the
formalities when ne arrived in London.
Present conditions are entirely salts
factory to the rubher men. he said, and
American manufacturers can get all the
rubber they want from England, pro-
vided they agree not 10 sell even TO A
neutral nation without special permits
sion from England
THE rubber manufacturing plants IN
England are working days. nights and
Sundays" he said, "and American man
ufacturers are getting the overflow bust
ness. Rubber will not go up in price
unless II il through lack OF shipping
facilities"
Mr.. Sieberling was asked how the
English people were taking the new
forbidden zone that Germany has laid
out around the British Isles.
Fakes War Zone Seriously.
ct know that tho British are pooh
pooling this idea OF submarine war
fare. but ! think It IL very serious.
The German is "A pretty smart fellow.
YOU know. and sometimes he makes
good. The John Bull disposition has
come TO tho front in England, and you
know what that Is, They are backed by
British philosophy.
81 am 100 per cent. with President
Wilson in observ ng neutrality. had
a chance to see at close range what
war means to a country, ana | think
it would be nothing less than "A ma
tional crime for US to become involved
through a technicality for instance. in
relation to cargoes Of ships
"Of course II one Of our own ships
* blown up, why that is a different
matter"
III. Rivington Pine, private secretary
10 Ambassador Gerard, came In on The
Iusitania. He gave tho first eyewit-
ness version Of the Insults offered to the
Ambassador in the Winter Garden The
atro I'm Iicrlin. Mr.. Pine said he WAS
IN the theatre with Mr.. Gerard and that
Grant Smith a formcr att,rbe nf tho