Was the Lusitania Decoyed into a Trap?

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 282, 8 June 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

Was the Lusitania Decoyed into a Trap?

REMARKABLE BOOK TELLS INSIDE STORY. On May 7, 1915—just over two years ago, the R.M.S. Lusitania was submarined and sunk, 1314 lives'being 10-t. A remarkable book recently published in Now York suggests that the Lusitania was tho victim of a well carried out German plot.

tpHH "ins'de story" of the sinking of ■*- the Lusitania, alleging that the vessel was decoyed off her course by a forged wireless message, probably sent from tho station at Sayville, is contained in a book by John Price Jones, published by A. C. Laut, New York. It purports to tell for the first time why Captain Turner, of the Lusitania, apparently disobeyed instructions from the British Aci&nlralty, and charges tint there was treachery on the steamship, as well as in Now York City, where the plot to de.-troy the vessel was organised. The book tells of the intricate spy system built up in the United, States b ythe agents of the Kaiser, and is endorsed by Theodore Roosevelt and Roger B. Wood, former United States Assistant Dtstrct Attorney in New York City. Mr. Jones is a reporter for the New York "Sun," and devoted a year to investigating German plotw in the United Stales. He collected the material lor his book by examining documents never published and by interviewing various authorities.

According to the story by Mr. Jones, tlie Lusitania was, in the eyes of the German Admiralty, the symbol of Great Britain's supremacy on the seas, which if sunk would lower England?' prestige. Spies travelling on the vessel had become convinced, however, that site was too swift to l>o overtaken by submarines and would have to be trapped to bo destroyed. Those spies had Teamed that it was Captain Turner's practice on approacning tho English coast to receive wireless instructions from the British Admiralty as to a safe course and the whereabouts of the convoy provided for tho Cunarder. •t was decided to trick tils vessel off lii-r coursa by a forged message, but two th'ng; were necessary to accomplish this—lira, to steal a copy of the British Admiralty code, and, second, to plar# i man on board the Lusitania who could intercept the real message from tho British Admiralty and substitute for it tho one sent by the German agents from Sayville. " How they got the British Admiralty code has not l>oen made known," Mr. Jour■< writes. " But they got it and they used it, just as tlie Germans have obtained copies of the codas used by the American State Department and have had cop : es of the codes used in our army and navy. 'I he German :igents also succeeded in placing on Imard the steamship the man who substituted the Gorman message for tlie one from the British Admiralty, but h : s identity has never been disclosed, according to Mr. Jones. Captain Turner may know, but in an interview with a reporter for the New York Tinier recently, tho only one given by him since the sinking of the Lusitania, ho averted he would wait unt'l the war was over to tell the full story ot the tragedy.

"Germany's spy machine has a wonderful facuftv for seeking out the weak character-, holding responsible positions amon" the enemy or for sending agents to "i-t and hold positions among their foes/' Mr. Jones explains in h's book. "It."in now charged that a man on the r usitania wrs deceived or duped. W Itether ho was a Gorman sympathiser sent out by the Fatherland to get the position and he ready for the task,, or whether lie w,n.? induced for pay to play the part he did—has not been told. Neither is his fate known."

,r, U known, according to Mr. Jones, that there were two Germans on board. agents of Capbiin Franz von R.ntolcn (•ailed "the German arch-plotter and egotist," but whether they were the ones who assisted in the mibst'tutmn has not hen ascertained. All that "s known, according to the story, is that Rintelen remarked to members of a fiimilv who invited him to dinner and who had a re.latve on board, that he had "two good men'' on tho Lusitania. In anv event, tho trap was ready to 1,0 sprung when the Lmitanub carryin" 1254 passengers and a crew ot bUU,

steamed mvay from New York on May I, 1915. On May 7 Captain Turner, on approaching tho British Coa>t, wired for instructions, and received a reply which ho thought came from the British authorities.

"Captain Turner, carefully decoding the mesirige by menus of a cipher hook which he had guarded jealously, read orders to proceed to a point ten miles south ot Old Hc:d of Kinsale and run into St. Gcorge*s Channel, making the bar at Liverpool at midnight," the story goes on. "He carefully calculated the distance and his running time, and adjusted his speed accordingly. He felt assured, because ho relied on the assumption that the waters over which he was sailing wore l>eing thoroughly scoured by English cruisers and swift torpedo-lwats in search of German submarines.

"The British alsj received his wireless mcw>ago —just a.'- the Sayville operator had snatched it from tlie air, and despatched an answer. Tlie order from the head of the Admiralty directed the English captain to proceed to a point some seventy or eighty miles soujh of Old Head of Kmsale and there meet his convoy, which would guard him on ti'.e way to port. But Captain Turtle! never got tho message, and the Brit f>li convoy wa'ted in va : n for Xlvi Lusitania. "Tho Lusitania headed north-east, going far away from the vessels that would have protected her. Swiftly sh • slipped through tho waves on tho afternoon of May 27. I r suspecting, 'he sri'p moved directly to certain death. Th" proud, swift I'ner steered straight between two submarines, lying in wait. The details of what happened after the torpedo blew out tho side of the. great ship hive been told—told so vividly, so terribly that they need not bo repeated here. As Captain Turner heard tiio explosion of the torpedo he knew instantly that there had been treachery. Ho knew ho had been decoyed away from the warships that were to escort him to his pier.'' Mr. Jones al!ege.> that at a secret session of a Board ot Inquiry appointed o investigate the 6iukmg of tho Lus'.tania. Captain Turner produced the orders no had received directing him to proceed south-west of Old Head of Kinsale. Tho Briti -ih Admiralty produced its message from him to go to an entirely different positon. ' "The orders did not agree, and showed treachery, and further invest'gation pointed to Sayville," Mr. .(ones concludes.

In writing tho hhtory of Gorman intrigues in tho United States, Mr. Jones tci'.s of the act vitie.s of Von Rtntcleti, Captain Kranz von Papon, Wolf von Igol, Paul Kocnig, Captain Karl Boycd, Dr. Heinrioh F. Albert, and others whoso names became familiar in connection with enterprises helpful to Cermnnv.

Mr. Kcpwelt, eommcnt'ng on these enterprises, wrote Mr. Jones a letter on Kebrsiary 27. last, which is printed on tho inside of the cover of tho hook. It reads in part. —

-Our people need to know certain of uio fart-, that veil have set forth. They ncd to ndorstand that Germany ha* waged war upon us, and has waged war against the lives of non-combatante. including women and children, and therefore a far more evil war than one waged openly.

"Our people also need to understand, what von so dearly set forth, that much of tho pac'fbt movement has been directly instigated by German intrigue and p: ; d for by German money, and that tlie entire pacifist movement in countrv during tho last two and r. half years has really heen in the, interest of German nga'nst the , itr'its of ,mall nations, and against our own honour and vital nation."! interests. ••You have done a capital work, and I wish it -ould he put in tho hands ot all good Americans."