Phillies 100 Years Ago: The Lusitania Sinks

May 7, 1915

Athletics vs. Washington Senators

LINER LUSITANIA SUNK BY GERMAN SUBMARINE,
FLEET RUSHES TO AID

137 AMERICANS LOST LIVES; U.S. DEMANDS EXPLANATION

LUSITANIA DEATH TOLL 1346;
132 AMERICAN PASSENGERS LOST; GERMANY JUBILANT

And so went headlines across the United States 100 years ago.  The Lusitania, which was mentioned in a previous post, left New York on May 1 and was nearing her destination of Liverpool when she was fired on by German torpedoes.  There had been warnings that U-boats were in the vicinity the liner and recently three British ships were sunk in nearby waters, but the captain did not heed the warnings, resulting in the death of thousands.  It took only 18 minutes for the Lusitania to sink, but the reverberating effects of the attack would change history.

The event, however, did not have an immediate impact on world history.  The sinking of the Lusitania was not the reason American got involved militarily in World War I; it was, however, the first major crack in the nation’s isolationism.  The people of the United States were outraged.  The death toll was about 1,195 killed, including between 120 and 140 Americans.  The unrestricted submarine warfare had hit America before, but mostly in an economical sense and only affecting only a few merchants.  This was the first time a large amount of American lives were lost to Germany’s seemingly reckless destruction.  This was also the nation’s first taste of the wanton killing that defined modern warfare and they didn’t enjoy it.  But they also weren’t going to fight a war if they could use diplomacy first.  President Wilson insisted that Germany apologize and compensate for the losses Americans suffered.  Eventually Germany said they would only fire on ships they could identify as British, easing the tension.  Great Britain, on the other hand, had a vested interest in keeping American ire up: they needed the United States to help them win the war.  Hence there were propaganda posters that declared “Remember the Lusitania!” and reports that German children were given the day off from school to celebrate the ship's sinking, all designed to push America towards helping the Allies.  It would take two more years, the resurrection of unrestricted submarine warfare, and a German proposal to back Mexico if they attacked America before the US would send troops to Europe.  So, yes, while many smarty pants will say to you “the Lusitania was not the reason the US entered World War I” and be correct, the truth is that today, 100 years ago, the United States took their first step toward engaging in World War I and becoming a international power.[4]

Oh did you come here to read about baseball?  Well, okay.  There wasn’t too much news on the Philadelphia baseball front today.  The Phillies didn't play, but were getting ready for their match the next day against Brooklyn.  The Athletics did play, and they won, but the game wasn’t much to write home about.  Senators’ pitcher Jack Bentley was chased in the second inning and the A’s ran away with this game 4-1.  The more exciting news surrounding the club was that Connie Mack was being accused of being cheap.  He had always accused of this in Philadelphia, of course, but now he had a bad team and the glaring holes that could have been filled had Mack opened his wallet more often were on full display.  Like a politician, Mack asked for his record to be the most important issue in this debate that had little to do with the past.  The fact was that Mack had cut ties with a large number of expensive players because he didn’t want to have to bid against the Federal League.  Now the seeds of this plan were blooming and the harvest was rotten.  He kept insisting that he was only a few pitchers away from competing for the pennant, but in reality he was about a decade away from another flag for Shibe Park. 

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[1] “Liner Lusitania Sunk By German Submarine Fleet Rushes To Aid,” The Washington Times, May 7, 1915, accessed May 5, 2015, http://1.usa.gov/1EX1nnp

[2] “137 Americans Lost Lives; U.S. Demands Explanation,” The Evening World, May 8, 1915, accessed May 5, 2015, http://1.usa.gov/1zSKPOA

[3] “Lusitania Death Toll 1346; 132 American Passengers Lost; Germany Jubilant,” Evening Ledger, May 8, 1915, accessed May 5, 2015, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045211/1915-05-08/ed-1/seq-1/.

[4] “Lusitania,” PBS.org, accessed May 5, 2015, http://www.pbs.org/lostliners/lusitania.html.