Did RMS Lusitania carry munitions?

Should a passenger liner carry war material? The Lusitania had been requisitioned by the Admiralty under instructions from the British government, after which Cunard had no control over her daily running.

It has been suggested by many sources that such ships should not carry passengers as they would undoubtedly become targets to enemies during war time. The Lusitania was no exception.

The Washington Post (The Post) on 18 May 1915, commented on aspects of the case as follows:

“The attention of The Post has been directed to the fact that this subject is already covered by existing law, and that the collector of the port of New York could have prevented the Lusitania from sailing - that it was, in fact, his duty to withhold clearance papers, in view of the fact that the Lusitania was carrying dangerous explosives and steerage passengers at the same time, in violation of law...”

The Post referred to the “Act to regulate the carriage of passengers by sea,” first enacted in 1882 and amended in 1903, 1904 and 1908. Section 8 reads:

“That it shall not be lawful to take, carry, or have on board of any such steamship or other vessel any nitro-glycerine, dynamite, or other explosive article or compound, nor any vitriol or like acids, nor gunpowder, except for the ship's use, nor any article or number of articles, whether as cargo or ballast, which by REASON OF THE NATURE OR QUANTITY OR MODE OF STORAGE THEREOF, shall either singly or collectively, be LIKELY to endanger the health or the lives of passengers or the safety of the vessel.

For every violation of any of the provisions of this section the master of the vessel shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, and shall be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars, and be imprisoned for a period not exceeding one year.”

The Post highlighted that the Lusitania was hit by a torpedo which caused an explosion sufficient to trigger another one from the war material in the cargo, wrecking the vessel and causing it to sink in less than half an hour.

If the article was correct, the lives of more passengers could have been saved if the law had been obeyed. The law imposed a duty on “an inspector or other officer of the customs, who shall make the examination and report whether the provisions of this act have been complied with.”

The Lusitania had been scheduled to depart at 10.00 a.m. Her departure was delayed because the Cameronia had been suddenly requisitioned by the British government. Passengers, mail and cargo were transferred from the Cameronia to the Lusitania. The collectors of customs could have carried out their inspection during the delay or simply took as much time as needed to discharge their legal duty properly.

The Post asked the question why the law was not enforced.

The Imperial German Embassy posted a warning reminding passengers crossing the Atlantic that they would inevitably cross a war zone. Any ships flying enemy flags or colours could be targeted. The warning was clear, and broadcast in both international and regional newspapers. Passengers who travelled on the Lusitania chose to ignore these warnings.

On 2 May 1915, The New York Times reported that agents of the Cunard Line were on the ship until its departure allegedly to reassure passengers that there was no truth in the printed reports and that there was little danger.

Captain Turner was quoted to have said, “I wonder what the Germans will do next. Well it doesn't seem as if they had scared many people from going on the ship by the look of the Pier and the passenger list.”

Whether or not the Lusitania carried munitions is a very important question. Most vessels would have carried arms during passages. Rifles were certainly carried on board the Lusitania to use against submarines and the Cunard Line admitted it. The American papers argued that carrying rifles made the vessel an armed vessel. The Lusitania carried American passengers, who were innocently caught up in someone else’s war.

Also, she was carrying English volunteer troops to the front line. The Admiralty and British Government were in total control of the ship. During the Lusitania's construction, the architects decided that the keel, just forward of the rudder, would be cut away to form an arch between the two propellers. The design, borrowed from the British Royal Navy, enabled greater manoeuvrability, and the fourth propeller added great speed - ideal for times of war.

The Attorney General during the British Inquiry gave the fatality figures and broke the numbers down by nationality. He mistakenly failed to include 128 US passengers (out of 139) who went down with the ship.

The loss of US citizens on the Lusitania caused a political stir in the US. The US Congress debated what action should have been taken for several weeks after the sinking of the Lusitania. President Woodrow Wilson corresponded with the German authorities and demanded from them an apology and compensation for his citizens but none was forthcoming.

The German authorities argued that the sinking was justifiable because the Lusitania was an armed merchant cruiser. The British Government was disappointed with Wilson’s response and had hoped for a greater retaliation.

The US did not join in the war until April 1917 after Germany proposed to form a military alliance with Mexico. The proposal stated that if Germany won the war, Mexico would be given Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. This outraged the US and incited them to declare war on Germany.