New-York tribune., 1922-12-04
Lusitania Bore
No Explosives,
Report Shows
CcontInusd hsm pas. sa,)

organization Of passengers as such,
with or without uniforms. and II any
individual reservists Of any national
ity sailed on the Lusitania on this trip
they did so as individuals, paying their
own passage and receiving their own
/ individual tickets.
"The Canadian troops. under my
| observation, are noteworthy for their
military appearance. There were no
! individuals and no group or groups
/ Of men OF any particularly military
bearing or appearance among the pas
sengers on the Lusitania sailing on
this trip, which would indicate the
presence Of any individuals or groups
Of military. This statement is made
Of my own official and personal knowl-
edge, and my official knowledge is
based upon the statements and aida
Wits Of Inspector Ross, Inspector Fin
kelstein, Inspector SmItn. Captain
Roberts and Charles p. Sumner, gen.
eral agent Of the Cunard Steamship
Company, who had charge Of the in
spection Of all passengers before they
we're permitted to board the Lusitania
on the day she sailed.
"The Lusitania had not carried on
any trip since the European war be-
gan Canadian troops or troops of any
other nationality when leaving the
Port of New York. This statement Is
made Of my own official knowledge,
and is based upon the statements and
afidavits Of Inspectors Smith and
Hoey, the latter inspector from August
Z. 1914, 10 February 10, 1915, a member
Of the neutrality squad and detailed
10 the Cunard piers: Captain Roberts
and Sumner, general agent. These af-
fdavits arc Affixed
Ruling Allowed Ammunition
As to the legality Of the presence
OF the ammunition on board the liner,
it is said in the report:
"The steamship was permitted 20
carry the above said cases of am
munition by virtue Of a ruling Of the
Department Of Commerce and Labor
dated May 2, 1911, in Interpretation
and limitation Of Section 4472 Of the
Revised Statutes Of the United States"
This ruling, made by Supervising
Inspector General George Uhler and
approved by Secretary Nagel, held that
"the results of tests Justify beyond
doubt the conclusion that small arms
ammunition may be transported with
out restriction on steamers carrying
passengers"
Gun Bases Not in Use
Celebrating upon his statement that
no guns we're carried by the liner, Col
lector Mslone's report said:
ain reply to your inquiry for any
information additional 20 that brought
forth by your specific questions, l beg
10 state that tho Lusitania, in her con-
struction, was so built that certain sec
tions were reinforced, and IN her strue-
ture at certain points bases were laid
for mounting guns Of 6-ineh. caliber.
The said bases were riveted 10 the steel
structure Of the ship but wero entirely
covered over at all times by the wooden
planking Of tho decks. The reason why
the deck Of the Lusitania was built
with provision for guns was that II the
Admiralty should call the Lusitania
from the merchant service 10 the serv-
ice Of the British navy she would be
more readily adaptable to naval pur-
poses.
Consequently, II any guns had been
mounted, or there was any intention to
mount guns on tho Lusitania on her
open bow or open stern deck, these
guns would have been mounted on
the stable gun bases provided for the
purpose, and not upon any blocks or
blocking or other alleged parapher-
MALTA for this purpose. This statement
Is merely made TO indicate the improb-
able character of any testimony which
states that any guns were mounted on
the bow or stern Of the Lusitania on
wooden blocks or blocking"