The Lusitania.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1922, Page 2

The Lusitania.

AMERICAN OFFICIAL REPORT. NEUTRALITY LAW OBSERVED. ICSTCAI.IAN AND N.Z. CABl.lt ASSOCIATION. NEW YORK, Dec. 4 The “New York World” publishes a copy of the report Mr Dunlev Field Malone, Collector of the Port of New York, under President Wilson made to ■ die State Department concerning the character of the cargo of the Lusitania when she left this port on the trip which ended in her being torpedoed. Mr Malone explains that thousands ol inquiries have been made for informaiii.n from various organisations throughout the world, but that the State Department could not publish the report, because it was part of its archives, and therefore secret. He' states that lie considers the presenttime expedient for the publication of the report. The report states that the Lusitania carried neither masked nor unmasked guns, neither Canadian troops nor the troops of any other nationality, and no explosives. Rut, the report says, she carried 5,460 cases of small arm ’ ammunition, fuses shrapnel, cartrid--1 .res, and shell castings. This was for- ' Aon ammunition. It was carried un. I der a ruling of the United States De- ' oartment of Commerce, in force since 19(1. The Department of Commerce ruling stated the results of tests justify beyond doubt the conclusion that small guns ammunition may be transported without restriction on steamers cariving passengers. I mV Malone’s report further states . that in the Lusitania’s structure, at certain points, bases were laid for the mounting of guns of six inch calibre, upon Admiralty orders, so that, should the Lusitania he called on for service in the British Navy, she would be more readily adaptable for naval purposes. These' bases at all times were, however, covered with deck planking, showing the falseness of assertions that guns were mounted when she sailed. ... The report, further indicates that the vessel was most carefully examined for the purpose seeing whether violations of neutrality had been made, and the vessel passed a complete test by competent inspectors as being within the American neutrality law.