New Britain herald., 1928-05-26

Washington, May a6.-More than 1s years ago the German embassy advertised in the newspapers warning to Americans against sail ing through the war zone on British ships.
 That was the beginning of the story of the Lusitania, which was torpedoed six days later near Irc- land with loss of 1c4 Americans, whose deaths proved the greatest single factor in pushing US into war with Germany.
 The incident is now being closed, It was within a week or two of May [, the thirteenth anniversary of the Lusitania catastrophe, that the heirs and survivors of the American Nlc- tims began to receive the s@.5oo,o damages awarded them by the mixed claims commission against Germany.
 Most of the money has been paid and the rest will be doled out as fast as the remaining successful claimants file their applications with the treasury under provision of the war claims act. That act procidod for immediate payment of all death and personal injury claims and all claims under sl00,000. The other claims are being paid by install ments. The money will really come from Germany, but as it is collected over a 75 year period under the
 
 take care Of the American claimants V hile some of them remained alive.
 The mixed claims commission. un- der the umpireship of Judge Edwin B. Parker of Texas. started out with nearly 12.5oo claims for an aggrc- gate of nearly $l,50o, 100000. It scaled down to awards of about seoo, ,0oO.ooo. With one American and one German member, plus Parker. if handled both American claims and those of Germany for war-soized property of her nation ads.
 Four millions were aWarden TOT :S4 American deaths and personal injury claims. the greater part of this involving the Lusitania fatali- ties.
 These Lusitana awards were made strictly on the basis of what the death of passenger meant Tn financial loss to the heir
 For the death of MT. and Mrs. Ebert Hubbard the heirs received s57.5OO-s25,0n ,0no to Ebert Hubbard II, $500 to Kathrine Hubbard and se5.0O0 to Miriam Hubbard. Ebert and Katherine were children by Hubbard's first marriage: Miriam by his second. Ebert and Miriam were heirs 10 Hubbard's $400.00U estate. Two sons of the first mar riagc. Ralph and Sanford, we're awarded nothing by the commission because their father had not con- tributed to their support for long time before his death
 The estate of Alfred c. Vanderbilt entered a so5o.000 claim and was not allowed anything. Vanderbilt had spent nearly s3o0,ooo a veal on himself and family. but he hae left 5000, 900 to his widow ant two children and it was shown tha he had not been adding to his cs tate. Hence the decision that hi death was no financial loss to tn heirs.
 Aged sisters of Charles Frohman the unmarried theatrical produce said to have died with the assertion that. death was lifes most beautiful adventure. filed claim which wa! also denied on similar principle. The commission felt no relief was need cd. as Frohman's movie stockhold ings had increased in value.
 The two sons of Charles Klein another producer who went do"i are receiving s5o.Ooo. They wer' born in America and Klein had file' papers for American citizenship be fore his death Mrs Klein got noth ing. as she was a British subject and still is.
 The widow and daughter of Al bert L. Hopkins. president of th Newport News Shipbulding & Dry dock O., drew $S0,o00 on the clain that Hopkins had always spent hi s25. .onO year salary on his faml' because Of business and social con nections,' He had left no estate eN ccpt small insurance policy an the commission held that he ha invested his salary for future bene if.
 Mrs. Andrew Bilickc, widow of Los Angeles realtor, got 500 ho and each of her children SSo.hh0- the largest award for a single Lusi tania death II was shown tha lsilicke's earning capacity as