The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-10-29
Former Collector of Port IF
New York Declares No
Government Ever Perpet-
rated Such a Reign Of OPP
preston an Secrecy AS
That Headed By President
Wilson-Ship Was Not
Armed

New York. oct. 3S.--Dudley Field
Malone. candidate for governor on the
armer- Labor ticket and former colleGc-
tor of the port OF New York, in an ad-
dress tonight. declared that when the
Lusitania was sunk by German sub-
marine she carried consignment OF
400 cases Of cartridges for the Brit
tsh government. which contained n
total of nearly '."vrn tons Of black
powder. The a~-'Et,"n was made in
citing the case t.. senator LaFollette
who charged that the l.usitalia carried
explosives for the British.
when the record Of the Wilson ad-
minist7ation becomes matter of open
history" Mr.. Malone declared. the
world will realize that no government
ever pcrprtrated sucn a reign Of OPP
preston and secrecy upon people"
Mr. Malone said that when Senator
LaFollrtte declared the l.usitania car
ricd explosives consigned 10 the Brit
Ish government, he was Immediately
slated for expulsion from the senate
and as We all remember. came within
a hairs breath of that fate"
Denied Access to Record.
When Senator LaFollettc was on
trial before the senate elections com
mIttrr within his right AZ sendator.
he continued. "he demanded from the
treasury department copy or the re-
port Of the collector of the port Of New
York, on the condition and cargo OF
the Lusitania. The treasury depart.
ment referred him to the state depart.
ment and the state department refused
on the ground that the report had be-
come a part Of the secret archives. As
il happened l wrote this report on the
Lusitania, because / had examined the
Lusitania in my capacity as co.lectoI
Of the port of New York. Anu
il was upon the evidence supplied by
me that the Lusitania was not armed
Wilson wrote his FAMOUS
second Lusitania note to the German
imperial government. But In my Vie"
the ruthlcssncss Of the German u"boa'
warfare could not justify the Nashlng'
ton administration in prosecuting Seha'
tor LaFollette for telling the truth MOI
could German militarism be offered al
a reason for refusing t" toll the Amer.
can neoplc Just what the Lusitania nae
on board when she was sunk
, II considered then and conSloel
now that the persecution Oh Lar ulle. ~. -
On q charge which the administrator
knew to be false from evidence IN lis
own possession was frame up or
Senator I.aFollettc and fraud on th'
''"'N volunteered Information.
"Ehcu | heard that Senator LaFol
lcttc was refused access to my report
Informed his counsel and told his
counsel 10 inform the government tha'
! would testify in support OF the sena,
inr's statements and that Wouiu NO
rcmain silent and see any man crucl'
i,,.,i Tor telling the truth. Whereupor
,hr trial WIS postponed from week u
week. and faaliy dropped. 1t had peer
admitted by ire German adlpirally ina,
tSn Iusitania was struck by Gsrmai
,nrnedo. Hut It will never be--Aeowr
whether or not there was Il second eS
n,nsion in the I.uaitania's cargo whlct
: modc her sink before she could o.
hcarhed = " We do not kn"" al.
never Will know actually ~hat was u,
al RI. boxcs and cases which MADE VI
This cargo Rut we did Know that t''CL
u.ns unC Consignment on poarH III.
Iusitauia of 4.rI0 cases OF HprihsleL'
rrrt.,ifc cartridges. each case cohta'i,
Isiny unN cartridges. with tive pouhas
nfIark powder 10 each Leon cartridges
Tbarcforc there WAS ConCentralch III
ono consignment in the hold or inc YES
eel :, shipment of nearly eleven Ton:
~ HACK powder. which by the lmp"c'
nj thr torpedo may very Well haSe Son
,rihnted to tho Incredibly rapid SINK
inc of the great liner. The otntr cor,
Issrmonis .TIs of ammunition and ShraFnsI
knnwn TO have been On thc LuS'I"n' ID
"vrrr consigrcd to the Brit,sh govern
m.nt. hut conta incd no e%lhoSNc+' -,
pre- sident Wilson was rrrlv' ~
ri,-h1 when he denied the 'h"rE' mac
hr The German government that lh.
inritnnia was armed. She was no!
arn,rd But the administration was
Gn,d wrong when it sought 10 kecE
from public knowledge. al the lac's
,hnu, the l.usitanin case.