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1915 Sinking the RMS Lusitania tensions...
1915 Sinking the RMS Lusitania tensions...
Item # 718619
June 17, 1915
EVENING TRIBUNE, San Diego, June 17, 1915
* Sinking of the RMS Lusitania investigation
* German U-boats terror - British ocean liner
The front page has a one column heading: "LUSITANIA BOATS NOT AVAILABLE FOR USE" (see images) Surprisingly this issue is in good condition being from the "wood pulp" era. Very hard to find issues that are not totally fragile from this era in paper. Rare as such.
Complete with 12 pages, small library stamp within the masthead, irregular along the spine, generally nice.
AI notes: Sir Edward Carson played a pivotal role in the British government’s official investigation into the 1915 sinking of the RMS Lusitania, serving as lead counsel for the Board of Trade during the formal inquiry chaired by Lord Mersey. Carson, already a respected barrister and political figure, conducted a meticulous examination of witnesses and evidence, but his approach was widely seen as protective of the Admiralty and broader British interests. While the inquiry acknowledged that the Lusitania was struck by a German U-boat without warning, Carson steered the proceedings to emphasize German culpability and downplay contentious issues, such as the presence of war munitions on board and the decision to route the ship through known U-boat hunting grounds without a naval escort. His legal strategy contributed to a final report that unequivocally condemned Germany's actions as barbaric and unlawful, while effectively absolving the British government and Cunard Line of negligence. Though successful in its immediate aims—bolstering public morale and reinforcing Allied propaganda—the inquiry later drew criticism for its omissions and for shielding uncomfortable truths, casting Carson’s role as both formidable and politically expedient.
Category: The 20th Century
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