Page:The Lusitania's Last Voyage (lusitaniaslastvo00lauriala).djvu/176

 above, and much more that was laid before the Solicitor of the Board of Trade?

The Court finds that "the portholes were closed." On what and on whose evidence? The above statement can hardly be made on the evidence of the Captain; for when he testified before the Coroner of Kinsale, in reply to the question, "What precautions did you take in connection with these threats?" (referring to the Notice from the German Imperial Embassy which appeared in the New York papers of May 1), he stated that "I had all the boats swung out and the bulkhead doors closed when we came within the danger zone." ("The Daily Telegraph," May 11.)

The Captain had the lifeboats swung out Thursday morning, twenty-four hours before the disaster, but I know of no evidence that shows that he ever ordered the portholes closed. If he had, it is fair to presume he