Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-02-29
WIN CLAIMS FOR
LUS|TAN|A Loss
First Awards Granted BY Mix
ed Commission
UMPIRE WAS REQUIRED
Largest Amount To Widow And
Daughter OF Virginia shlpbuIld-
er-RaIses For Death
Awards.

Washington.-Under an award
Of the German-American Mixed
Claims Commission the German
Government must pay approx
mately s1,0O0,00O reparation to
81 Americans for losses sustained
by Americans through death, in
Jury, property damage or other
wise In the sinking of the British
liner Lusitania. The decision was
handed down by Judge Edwin B.
Parker, umpire of the commission
and representing only the first
group Of Lusitania claims.
Eighty-eight separate awards were
made, the amounts in the cases involv-
ing property damage or destruction
carrying per cent. interest dating
from May Z. 1915, when the Lusitania
was sunk. to the date-of payment. and
those in the death cases the same in
terest dating from November 1, 1923,
when the commission handed down its
opinion in the case determining the
measure of damages.
Forty claims were denied in the de-
oision.
In handing down his decision. Judge
Parker made a brief statement Of the
facts in each case and applied them to
the rules laid down in the Lusitania
opinion Of November 1. The cases
came to him for decision because Of
disagreement between the American
commissioner. Chandler p. Anderson,
and the German commissioner, VIII
helm Kiesselbach.
In the death cases, according to the
opinion. the basis OF damages was not
the value Of life lost or the loss sus-
tained by the estate of the decedent,
but the losses to claimants resulting
from the death, $50 far as such losses
are susceptible Of being measured by
pecuniary standards"
IN determining the amount Of com
pensation for such losses. the umpire
took into the consideration the
amounts which the decedent, had be
not been killed, probably would have
contributed to the claimant; the pc
cuniary value to such claimant of the
deceased's personal services in claim
ants care. education or supervision,
and a reasonable figure for such
mental suffering or shock, II any.
caused by the violent severing of fam
ily ties. as claimant may actually have
sustained by reason Of such death"
Mental suffering. to form the basis
of recovery" the opinion read, must
be real and actual, rather than purely
sentimental and vague"
The principles announced In the
opinion Of November will be followed
In deciding all Lusitania claims. which,
at the time Of the November decision,
totaled 27s. involving 22.600.000. The
commission had dismissed $3.50 claims
totaling about s345, 900 900 for the re-
covery of insurance premiums paid by
Americans for protection against war
hazards on the ground that, under the
treaty Of Berlin, Germany could not be
held liable for all losses incident to
the very existence Of state of war. !"
The largest award made was in the
case of Mrs. May Davies Hopkins
Gilmer and her daughter. May Davies
Hopkins, who were allowed claims
totaling s1sO,oeO. Mrs. Gilmer, at the
time OF the Lusitania disaster. was the
wife of A. L. Hopkins, president of the
Newport News shipbuilding and Dry
dock Company. Mr.. Hopkins was "A
years old when he went down with 127
other Americans on the big liner. She
has since remarked.