Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-05-13
PRESIDENT DECIDES TO MAKE FIRM
DEMAND AT ONCE THAT GERMANY
FOLLOW LAW OF NATIONS ON SEA
40 M|RALTY \ A D
WARNED LUS|TAN|A
OF 81 3 NJ ARMIES

or klnsale by n subma rine, was str1icl
by but one torpedo, according to tn
testimony of Captain Turner of tn
steamer. given to-day at the coroner
inquest at Kinsale But this deadl,
missile found vital spot and sent tn
liner to the bottom in less than twent,
minutes, carrying with her more than ,
thousand souls
The evidence of Captain Turner whicl
cleared up many other points concernin,
the disaster and that of other member
of the crew of the vessel with a genera
knowledge Of the situation, led the jur,
to bring In a verdict of wholesale n,r
der against the German Emperor an,
his government and the officers OF IN,
submarine directly responsible for tn,
sinking of the ship.
1t was also disclosed to-day by Captair
Turner and by Winston Spencer Church
i'll, first lord of the admiralty. in q
statement in the House of Commons thai
the captain had received wireless advice.
from the admiralty In regard to tn,
presence of submarines on the liner:
course. Captain Turner in his testimony
said he had followed this advice Ito tn,
best Of my ability"
| The character of the advice rendered
by the admiralty was not divulged ant
Will not be until Lord Mersey opens his
Inquiry into the loss of the ship.
INTERNAL. EXPLOSION CREDITED
Meantime the cause for the heavy loss
OF life the absence of any naval escort
FOR the threatened vessel and the sud
oennesS with which she sank afford room
for much speculation Captain Turner
III declaring that one torpedo did all the
damage, said the second explosion which
the passengers heard was an internal
one and that the engines having been
put out of commission, it was Impossible
to stop the Lusitania and permit of her
boats being lowered properly.
This idea of an internal explosion is
supported by naval experts. who point
out that If the torpedo had eXplode ed
on contact the steamer would have
been only disabled or had one or two
of her compartments flooded. 1t is evil
dent, however. they say, that If the
| torpedo penetrated the hull and the
charge of 20 pounds of explosive was
detonated it would have created an eff
feet similar to the explosion of n mag
azine within ship. There Is little
wonder, therefore, they say, that the
Lusitania sank so rapidly or that SC
many persons were killed by the
fumes of the explosive.
WILL NOT PROTECT SHIPS.
ON the question of why no naval es.
cort accompanied the Lusitania Mr.
Churchill explained in the House OF
, Commons that the policy of the ad-
miralty is that merchantmen must
look after themselves. This policy
was due to the fact that the admiralty
had not sufficient destroyers to escort
all merchant ships, they being requir-
> ed to guard the continuous stream OF
transports from England to France
and to protect the English east coast
from German raids.
Naval observers are of the opinion tina
the use of dostroyers for the protection
Of shipping is probably what the Ger.
mans are trying to force England to give
but they say that the admiralty. with is
eyes first on the naval and military needs
of the country will not divert its ships
for other purposes. Some of the mem.
bers of the House of Commons, however
express the belief that a steamer that is
particularly threatened with destruction
''''"'N 'e 'SP'N'd!'S piot'CCu anu tilt
matter of conveys doubtless will be
further discussed in Parliament
BRITISH PEOPLE AROUSED.
All this discussion. however, has not
! lessened the anger of the people at the
action of Germany which resulted in tn,
loss Of so many lives of non-combatants
| Throughout the country this anger has
| found expression in many ways. In some
| towns where there are considerable Ger
| man populations roting has occurred
] while more said business men have
decided to exclude all men of enemy
countries and even naturaized Britishers
of iermanic descent, from the exchanges
| of the country.
Another effect has been to boom re-
cruiting. Every recruiting office reported
to-day that more men had presented
themselves for service than for weeks
past. The main hall of the chief recruit
ing office In London was crowded all day
with men waiting for medical eXamina
| ton
This boom was helped by a German air
raid on South End and vicinity early to-
day. Altogether the airmen dropped l9O
bombs but only two deaths resulted An
old woman was killed in her bed and her
husband died from injuries received in
jumping from window. The material
damage caused by fire started by thu
| bombs Is estimated at 10000