"Lusi- 

 tania' 



The Days of a Ma?i 1915 



The Meanwhile, on May 8, the whole civilized world 



had been profoundly shocked at the sinking by sub- 

 marine of the passenger ship Lusitania. Events 

 which preceded and followed this egregious piece 

 of folly are too well known to need recapitulation. 

 But that some Germans saw it for what it was will 

 be evident from the following extracts from a letter 

 (in English) written by Fried to Mez, the latter 

 being with me at the time: 



Switzerland, May n, 1915 



Since Saturday, when the news of the sinking of the Lusitania 

 has reached me here, I am ill from excitement. It is surely the 

 most appalling thing that has happened in this war. The 

 justification of Germany makes a very poor impression on me; 

 the so-called warning of the German Ambassador is not more 

 urging in its tone than, for instance, a warning at a new- 

 painted bench. 



The fact that more than 1200 passengers risked to make 

 the journey in spite of the warning is looked upon in Germany 

 as a contempt of this warning. I take it rather as a respect 

 to the German people as the 1200 passengers did not think 

 possible such an action. They were mistaken. To you as a 

 German I can say it, that one must be ashamed of oneself. 

 And with all this one must keep quiet, whereas one would 

 like to cry out from fury and indignation. How can these 

 moral damages ever be repaired? Those who have willed this 

 war care very little about this, as to them it is of little difference 

 whether Germany is morally isolated after this war. 



Most horrible is the way this great crime is judged by the 

 German press: cool regret but agreement to this action. 

 Indeed the press may be excused because it is not able to write 

 what it wants to. But it should not write anything at all and 

 could just as well simply note the fact without any comment. 

 I have great fear that finally even America may join in the war. 

 The sympathies will be gone forever there. I hope that Ger- 

 many will be clever enough to bring the case before an arbitra- 

 tion court, as England has done in the Alabama case and that 



3 



