Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1915-06-10
The United States VS.. Ger.
many and Great Brittian.
[ By Stephen W. johnson, A. b.,
in Nashville Banner.

y
in Nashville Banner.
The correspondence or notes,
so.called, now passing between
the United States and Germany
relate TO practically all questions
affecting the interest of the Unit
ed States as . neutral nation in
the great European war.
. The anxiety and interest IN
this matter Is intensified by the
earnest desire to have the United
States, in an adequate and proper
manner, show the countrv's at
titude on the sinking of the Brit
ish ship Lusitania, which result
ed in the loss Of so many lives,
including more than 100 Ameri-
can citizens.
On May his majesty's steam
ship Lusitania sailed from the
port OF New York. Many times
before had she sailed. The scenes
ct the dock when the leviathan
Of the seas was ready to turn her
prov seward were much the
same as usual. She had over
1000 souls on board.
There was one difference be-
tween this and all her previous
sailings. England, under whose
flag she sailed, was at war with.
Germany.
Did that cause any concern to
the 1888 American citizens who
had booked passage to England?
Yes. They asked the Cunard Off
cials If it was safe to travel on
this boat--whether there was any
real danger from an attack by q
German submarine.
In the light of the events which
happened on that fateful May z,
the answers to these questions
are of deep Importance.
The American citizens who
took passage on that ship we're
evidently told by Cunard officials
virtually officials of the English
government, that their lives were
safe in their charge. Was 1T not
the boast of the Cunard Company
that in seventy.fve years they
had. not lost the life Of passen-
ger? These American citizens
were doubtless also told that az
the Lusitania had 8 speed of 25t
knots an hour she could easily
run awav from any German SUBJ
marine. Her commander, Capt.
Turner, Is reported to have boast
fully said to Mr.. Vanderbilt that
his vessel could elude the whole
fleet of German submarines
should they seek to destroy her. =
| These American citizens were
again and again assured that they
were running no risks, but, and
note the bitter irony of this
These citizens when they pur-
chased their tickets had to agree
| q OF to hold the company respons-
ID. le for their lives or property
ow, ing to the risks of war. They
wer., told that should q torpedo
By airy chance happen to strike
tho We ssel, she could not sink as
she had too many watertlRht
comp srtments.
The. 70 citizens were not told
that the Lusitana was, as a mat.
ter of ia, It, . floating arsenal and
stood sma II chance of remaining
sfiost anv | sngth of time if struck
BY q torpe, 10. They were not
told that it W as the English gov
eminent that in reality owned
the Lusitania on the day they
sailed from New York under the
belief that they we're on an IN
armed passenger !. iner owned b,
. private company. ms 1ac0 i
may be said, was mott brousht u
light when the jingo and frank.
| pro British press of t he countr!
most unpatriotically ana 10
shsmeful manner ti'ying u
plunge this county into the war
When the Lusltania was built
the English government agree