THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LUSITANIA
BY WILLIS CARTO
To all Friends of Willis Carto
April 20, 2024
On May 7, 1915, the German U-boat U20 torpedoed the largest passenger ship in the world at the time, only a few miles off the southwest coast of Ireland. The Lusitania, under British ownership and control, lost 1,200 lives within 18 minutes of being attacked. Among them were 128 Americans, men, women, and children. This precipitated the United States’ entry into World War 1 (WW1), which was British-controlled from the very beginning. On August 4, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany.
On April 6, 1917, the U.S. House passed a resolution declaring war on Germany, approved by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 82-6.
I recently came across a book written in 1972 by English journalist Colin Simpson, who located records of all who were involved with the Lusitania, planning the illegal use of it, and finally, its destruction. It became the world’s biggest disaster in nautical history.
The author proves the Lusitania was badly designed and poorly staffed, exposing the secret that had been kept for many years: The Lusitania, with high American complicity, was created as a ship that could be sunk by a German U-boat.
It was built as the largest passenger ship at that time and was turned into an armed cruiser for the British Royal Navy. It was loaded with tons of military materials and many personnel. The British and American governments later denied this. Originally, under cruiser rules, passengers were given time to disembark before a ship was sunk. Churchill issued inflammatory orders to his ships which would result in depriving timely benefit to non-combatants to leave the ship under cruiser rules. For example, lifeboats would take declared passengers off the ship. Churchill, as the First Lord of the Admiralty, did whatever he wanted without asking questions. Saving passengers was not on his mind, but transporting illicit heavy ammunition and tons of war material to be used by Britain, was. Starting in October 1914, the United States had been shipping dangerous material in the form of cordite, mercury, and other explosive materials to Britain in faked containers labeled “nonexplosive in bulk.” They had no trouble packing heavy equipment on this great passenger ship, without any passengers having a clue they were sitting on explosives. Churchill always got what he asked for.
The British had broken the German naval code and knew the locations of German U-boats around the British Isles. Germany was winning the war on the seas with the 88 superboats they had, double the number of the British.
Cruiser rules were observed by combatants, and private passengers were allowed to leave the ship before the battle started. The whole civilized world agreed to that law. In order for the system to work, safety zones were set in motion first, then the passengers could disembark in those zones. These safety zones were extremely important when announced by the appropriate support on land and were acknowledged by all. When the Lusitania approached the coast heading for the area of Kinsale by the Irish Sea, it had received the “safety zone” message. Then, without warning, it was withdrawn. The U-20 shot its torpedoes and it took only 18 minutes for the ship to sink with 1,200 lost souls. Just 795 human beings made it out alive.
A couple of years later, German Admiral von Tirpitz, who had developed the submarines, and his English counterpart, had conversations about the inexplicable loss of life. Britain’s schemers were delighted, no doubt, as it worked out as planned beforehand. There is no doubt the Lusitania carried “contraband” from New York to Ireland. The head of the British inquiry, Lord Mersey, later remarked, “It was a damned dirty business.”
U.S. Senator Robert M. LaFollette gave a speech in Minnesota on September 20, shortly after the Lusitania disaster. Four days before the Lusitania sailed, President Wilson was warned in person by his secretary of state, William Jennings Bryan, that the Lusitania had 6 million rounds of ammunition on board, besides explosives, and that passengers who proposed to sail on that vessel were sailing in violation of law of this country. LaFollette wanted to enlighten his colleagues. His speech was read all over the United States. It got senators angry and they tried to ban LaFollette from the Senate.
Not to be dropped into the memory hole is the fact that elements in England were extremely active through their connections with their counterparts in the United States. Jewish bankers and politicians needed to get the U.S. into the war because England was losing it. Having their counterparts in the U.S. come over to the British side was not difficult. Money talked and promises were fulfilled. In Britain, Jewish-Zionist elements clamoring for land in Palestine finally managed to have the British promise them parts of the Muslim homeland. The bargaining chip, to get the United States behind this move and into the war against Germany, was to pacify the Jewish forces in both the U.S. and Britain. President Wilson was not opposed to helping out, but it would be another 30 years until the deal for the land was done. The United States won WW1 for Britain against Germany, which had overtaken the world trade that Britain was losing. At the same time, Britain also managed to support the Zionist movement in the U.S. and Europe with promises made, and in 1948, Palestine was delivered to the Zionists, signed for the United States by President Harry Truman.
Thank you.
Elisabeth Carto