Evening star., 1925-07-15
Six Lusitania Claims Remain:
Audrds VIII Total 81, ,25O,OOO
Largest Sum GiUen Is S13O,OOO, to May
Davies Hopkins Gilnaer for Deaths
of Husband and Father.

All but 6 of the 175 war claims
brought against Germany as a result
of the sinking of the steamship Lusi-
tania off the coast of Ireland in May,
1915, have now been settled by the
United StatesGermany Mixed Claims
Commission, sitting in Washington;
and the surprising fact brought to
light by the decisions is that the ag.
gregate amount of the Lusitania
awards will probably amount to less
than 81, ,250, 900.
The total amount of the awards al
ready granted relatives of the LuSita-
mia victims has reached 81 800 900, an
|amount much less than was expected
when the work of adjustment started.
The commission has adjourned for the
Summer and will take final action on
the remaining cases early in the Fall.
100000 Largest Award.
The largest sum granted in the cases
so far settled is an award of 900 to
Mrs. May Davies Hopkins Gilmer for
the death of her husband and $50 900
for the death of her father. The next
largest award has been made to Mrs.
Gertrude Adams for the death of her
husband, Arthur II. Adams. The sons
of the late Charles Klein, the drama
tist, are allowed a total sum of $4,000
in damages, while the relatives of JUS
tus Miles Forman, the novelist, have
been allowed no award. The case
brought by relatives of Charles Froh-
man, the noted. theatrical producer,
was also dismissed, the commission
taking the view that through his
death they were receiving as large or
larger pecuniary returns than they
would have received had he not been a
passenger on the ill-fated ship.
There haVa haap roanV of her dis
missals because of lack of sufficient
evidence. According to the Cunard
Steamship Co.'S passenger list there
were more than 100 Americans aboard
the big liner, not including American
members of the crew, most of whom
lost their lives in the disaster. The
awards of the commission up to this
time have been in favor of the next
of kin and other dependents of those
who lost their lives and for the benet1t
of surviving Americans who presented
claims for mental and personal in
juries.
Many Points Probed.
In settling each individual claim
the age. sex, health, condition and
station in life, occupation. habits, in
dustry and sobriety, mental and
physical capacity, customary earnings
such earnings have been carefully con-
sidered by the commission. The prob
able duration Of the life of the de-
ceased has also been a vital point. as
has the question as to the earning
capacity decreasing or increasing, had
the victim lived. The age, health, sex
and station in life of each of the
claimants have also been taken into
account.
How the decea sed would have spent
his money had he lived and how much
of it might have reached his relatives
was given attention in every case.
Probable future cash contributions TO
relatives were gauged largely by what
the deceased had given in the past.
Neither the physical pain nor the
mental anguish which the deceased
may have suffered when the German
torpedo sent the giant ship to the
bottom of the ocean were allowed to
figure in the damage claims The
amount of insurance which the rela-
tive of the victims may have received
on account of the tragedy was also
disregarded by the commission and no
vindictive or punitive damage have
been allowed
Compensation. however, for mental
suffering, wherever proven, has been
taken into consideration by the com
mission. But in many cases the
claimants found it very difficult to