Concerning the charge that the Lusitania carried munitions, Dudley Field Malone, Collector of the Port of New York, testified that he made personal and close inspection of the ship’s cargo and saw that it carried no guns and that no munitions were included in its cargo.
His statement follows:
“This report is not correct. The Lusitania was inspected before sailing, as is customary. No guns were found, mounted or unmounted, and the vessel sailed without any armament. No merchant ship would be allowed to arm in this port and leave the harbor.”
Captain W. T. Turner, of the Lusitania, testifying before the coroner’s inquest at Kinsale, Ireland, was interrogated as follows:
“You were aware threats had been made that the ship would be torpedoed?”
“We were,” the Captain replied.
“Was she armed?”
“No, sir.”
“What precautions did you take?”
“We had all the boats swung when we came within the danger zone, between the passing of Fastnet and the time of the accident.”