Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-26
APPROVES
LUS|TAN|A SAL WAGE
Contract With War Risk
Group to Be Signed by
RaiIey at Once.
BY H. ]. J. SARGENT.

Supplied by the North American Newspaper
Alliance Copyright. 1881, by the New YorE
Times Co. World rights reserved.
LONDON, November 26.- OficiaI
permission to explore the wreck of the
Lusitania, sunk by German submarine
on May 7, 1915, of the southwest coast
Of Ireland, was granted yesterday by
the British Board of Trade to the Lake
Railey Lusitania expedition after siz
weeks of negotiation with the author
tiles conducted here by Capt. H. H
Railey. leader OF the expedition.
jurisdiction over the wreck, which
li0s outside of territorial waters in 4C
Sfathon1s. approximately eight miles
south southwest of the head of Old
Kinsale, Ireland, is maintained by the
Liverpool g. London War Risks Insur-
ance Association, Ltd, a group Of un-
Tor the protection Of British bottoms
during the war.
Contract Conditional.
The contract with Capt Railey's ex-
petition was approved by the Governing
Committee of the Liverpool & London
War Risks Insurance Association on
October 20. It was made conditional
however, on the action of the Board OF
Trade, the admiralty and the foreign
Office. While the foreign office, from
the political, and the admiralty, from
the naval viewpoint, do not specifically
approve the purpose Of the Lake Railey
Lusitania expedition, the decision OF
these important divisions of the gov
eminent was determined on the basis
OF mon -objection."
The concurring action of the Board
Of Trade, therefore, was concerned
solely with Jurisdiction.
Capt Railey lass night made public
the following letter from the Board of
Trade:
"Sir: With reference to the COM
municaticnS which have passed between
you and this department on the subject
OF your proposal to carry out certain
operations on the wreck of the S. S.
Lusitania, 1 am directed by the Board
OF Trade to state that his ma jestys
government in the United Kingdom are
not prepared to accept any responsible
ity for or express any opinion on your
proposals.
Must Report Salvage.
81 am, however, to point out that if
after your negotiations with the Liver
pool and London War Risks Insurance
Association, Ltd, you should be in a
position to proceed With your project,
and II you should salvage any property
from the wreck and land it anywhere
in the United Kingdom, you should re-
port such property to the receiver Of
wreck at the nearest custom house and
give proof that the salvage was eff
fected by arrangement with the asso-
citation.
"a copy Of this letter has been sent
to the association, signed by E. j. Foley,
principal assistant secretary"
Capt Railey's reply was as follows:
Sir: I acknowledge your letter Of
November IS, communicating the de-
cision of the Board Of Trade on my APP
plication for permission to explore the
wreck of the S. S. Lusitania. On be-
half OF the expedition of which I am
the leader, allow me to observe it is
clearly recognized that his majeSty's
government does not accept response
bility and is not in any respect COM
mitted to the purpose duly set forth in
my correspondence on this subject.
The Lake-Railey Lusitania expedi-
ton will meticulously abide by your
instructions that our operations must
be governed strictly in accordance with
the terms of our agreement with the
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