Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-03-23

, This arch hend is dead. but his
posthumous story:
HOW 1 SANK THE LUSITANIAr
exists in the archives of the German
navy. 1t IS written over his signature
and the very lack of sentiment in the
epochal narrative stands in weird con-
trast to the shock which the sinking Of
the Lusitania. with the loss Of 1,195
lives. gave to civilization.
FUEL SHORTAGE
CHANGES PLAN.
Schwieger, the log shows, had been or
dered to the Irish sea to harass shipping
off Liverpool On account Of the vast
network OF barricades erected BY the
British navy across North channel he
started to sail all the way around ire
/ land, but his fuel ran short and he de-
cided to disregard his orders and return
to his base. He had started back to
Wilhelmshafen when he suddenly met the
Luistania.
The submarine commander professed
to have been surprised to see a giant pas
senger liner steaming unconcernedly east
ward past the south coast of ireland.
Schwieger jotted down a criticism in his
official diary. He thought # was bad
management" on the part Of the British
admiralty to let the great Cunard liner
pass through st. Georges channel instead
Scotland).
1T remains fnexplicable why the Lusi-
tania was not sent through North
Channel" wrote Schwieger in his log a
few hours after the LusitRnia had been
sent to the bottom.
PERISCOPE REVEALS
GIANT SEA PALACE.
Schwieger tells Of his vfgn at the
Periseope A mighty liner is reflected in
he
and is evidently one OF the floating pal
aces OF the Atlantic The U-2O sub
merges and plunged ahead at high speed
to intercept the doomed ship. The sub
marine rises to see the greyhound
steaming ahead at twenty 1.-TWO sea miles
an hour. There IL a sharp command. A
great &c" torpedo is fired at 700 meters
range. 1t strikes. A gaping hole Il
torn In the proud liner on the starboard
side behind the bridge. A terrific ex-
plosion follows. There Is a second ex-
plosiOn, and the debris and water spurt
skyward. The ship begins to keel over.
There is tremendous excitement on board
1t appears that the officers have lost
their heads. They can not get the life
boats launched. Another shot-schwiege
is tempted. But adds in his log:
Il couldn't have fred a second tor
pedo into this throng Of humanity at
The submarine goes upon its way.
Schwieger coolly works on his diary,
considering the horror OF his act as a
part OF the days work. He figures his
marine, bearings and notes his success
and makes his comments
These are official statements, con-
tanned in the official diary which
Schwieger utilized as his formal report
OF the voyage to the great staff of the
imperial German navy.
RECORD INCLUDES
I2 TYPED PAGES.
There are twelve pages OF typewritten
manuscript, with accompanying maps
and charts. 1t looks unimposing bound
in a simple wrapping OF blue MANILA
covers. But it is history. I am not at
liberty TO explain how I secured poses
sion Of these important papers from the
naval archives for thirty-six hours to
enable them to be photographed. But
that is comparatively uninportant
Schwieger's terse account, intended
only for official eyes. eOntradicts and
brands as false Germany's subseqaent
announcement that the captain who
sank the Lusitania did not know he
was firing on a passenger vessel.
The favorite tactic Of merchant ships
hunted by submarines was to speed
ahead on a zigzag course The attacking
"U" boat without waiting to learn the
name of its quarry, would then set out
to get in front of the vessel to give a
mortal blow.
This apparently explains Schweiger's
story that he did not seek to identity
the Lusitania before he fred upon her.
SECOND EXPLOSION
WITHIN LUSITANIA?
From the standpoint of settling allied
conjectures and theories. probably one
Of the most valuable revelations con-
tanned in the log is its indication that the
second mysterious explosion came from
within the Lusitania itself Sehwieger
did not attempt to define actually what
caused this. but suggested boiler, coal
Continued on Page EIeven.)