The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1918-08-27
GERMANY MUST
PAY THE PRICE
For Sinking the Lusitania. The
Picture of the Kaiser
Thrown in the
STREETS OF BERLIN

The Federal DiDstrict Court OF
New York in a decision written by
Judge julius M. Mayer and filed late
on Saturday night, holds that the
Cunarder Lusitania, torpedoed by a
German submarine in the afternoon
of May 7, 1915, was an unarmed
merchant vessel which had no ex-
plosives of any kind on board. The
court further decides that when the
German Government, acting through
| its submarine commander destroyed
the great ship, it omitted IAN mex
pressibly cowardly attack" which
was violation of all laws governing
civilized warfare at sea. The con-
tention of the British owners of the
Lusitania that theact was that of a
pirate and common enemy of man.
kind is upheld by Judge Mayer. This
is the first time that an American
court has had an opportunity to
pass direcaly upon the various con-
tentions put forward in regard to
the sinking.
Refusing to hold the Cunard Line
liable for damages due to loss OF
life and property as result OF the
act of the German Government,
Judge Mayor expresses his sympa-
thy for survivors and relatives OF
those who were lost, anr suggests
that the place to get the damages
Undoubtedly due them is not from
the treasury of the Cunard Line
but from that of the Imperial Ger
man Government, payment which
should be exacted at the peace table
by the United States and Great Brit
! ain.
The decision followed litigation
which has lasted more than year
and which involved more than forty
suits in which the claimants main
tanned that the Cunard Line was re
sponsible for the loss of the Lusita
mia, which some claimed was paint
ed like transport" and which, the.
urgked carried ammunition ant
high explosives, and was improperl.
navigated while passing through
the ubmarine infested waters off TIL
i Irish coast.
| Germany Can't Win
| The general impression amoni
German 1 soldiers, prisoners say wa
now that so many powers had CON
bined against Germany, that it wa
not possible for GeGrmany to win
yet the EenEtente Allies would ney
er be able to enter Germany, be
cause the Germans had seen to
much of the destruction in Franc
to permit of Germany suffering in
similar manner.
The prisoners said Germany woul,
be defeated to the last mana. l
J, that did not suffice an immediat
peace must avert an invasion. TIL
Germans admitted that the Ameri
cans fought with freshness and EN-
thusiasm.
They say they believe there is ey
: cry disposition to evacuate Belgium
and Northern France, and even ne
gotiate for the retention or evacua
tion of Alsace-Lorraine
They are generally unanimous il
agreeing that annexation thus ia
made under the Brest-Litovsk peac
treaty were great mistake, bu
they think Germany cannot with
draw from Russia in the presen
condition of affairs there.
The y are aware that the Amer
| can Army now has assumed yer
formidable proportions, and there
, is general admission of the ser
BUSINESS Of this factor.
; The submarine campaign the
: cannot refer to without gestures {
, impatiencs
Captured noncommissioned off
GERS attribute recent German d,
feats to the inefficiency OF their a
service and more especially to til
. inexperience and lack of stamina
the latest recruits, who re most il
, adequately drilled and trained an
who are physically incapable of su
tanning the heavy strain of defensi,
warfare. The mere presence
these new recruits they say, DR.
: duces In company a demoralizir
r effect upon the older men because
!, indicates to what straits German
y muf be reduced to employ sus
poof>material.