JACK'S YARNS: THE LOSS OF THE LUSITANIA (1915)

Description

Date: 13 May 1915

Transcript:

THE LOSS OF THE LUSITANIA.

The German pirate's still at work.
The slinking submarine—
That hits below the belt, and does
His dirty work unseen;
That sinks a helpless vessel's crew,
Then laughs with ghoulish glee
To see them drown—has added to
Its roll of infamy.

No warship was the victim. No,
The treacherous naval Hun
Will never of his own accord
Face up a British gun.
His great respect for his own skin
Is such that it's well known
He'll sacrifice a woman's life
To save his dirty own.

[cartoon of Jack reading a poster about the LUSITANIA sinking]
The limit.

So this time, true unto itself,
this sneaking pirate crew
Attacked a ship of passengers;
For well the creature knew
'Twas only helpless innocents
That he had got to meet.
His skin was safe; he'd never face
A unit of our Fleet.

And so he sent straight to their doom
Full twice seven hundred souls!
The dastard deed we'll ne'er forget
As long as ocean rolls.
The deepest deed of infamy
Committed by a Hun—
How long will neutrals stand aside
And see such foul deeds done?

[cartoon of Jack balling his fists]
They won't fight fair.

It makes a sailor blush to think
That men who sail the seas—
No matter what their nations be—
Can do such deeds as these
But they'll not fight fair, like a man,
As we have always done.
He always hits below the belt,
The loathsome, treacherous Hun!

What is America going to do?
For on that stately ship
Hundreds of Yankees sailed—alas!
Sailed on their long, last trip.
What is America going to do?
And other neutral States?
Will they stand by and "warn" again?
An anxious world awaits.

[cartoon of Uncle Sam gripping his undrawn sword]
Will he draw it now?

For, surely as night follows day,
The Hun is out to slay
Neutral or Ally—anyone,
In fact, that's in his way.
So that the Neutral now will strike
Is what we all expect—
They owe it to Humanity
And their own Self-respect.

I've asked what will the Yankees do;
But more important yet
Is what our own young men will do;
They'll surely not forget!
The nation's manhood will arise,
Eager to grip a gun,
And never lay it down until
He's blotted out the Hun.

[cartoon of Jack indicating the entrance to a recruiting office]
The only way.

It matters not what others do;
Our duty's clear and plain;
The women and the children's cry
Shall not be heard in vain.
I hear their drowning voices still!
Oh! listen to the wail!
Think of the horrors—if you can—
Enacted off Kinsale!

Think of it, men, then ask yourself,
"Can I sit still at ease
Whilst others risk their lives to clear
These pests from out the seas?
Can I sit still whilst others fight
To crush the brutal foe?"
I see the clenching fist! That's right,
Your mind's made up—you'll go.


Source:
McMann, W. ‘Jack’s Yarns: “The Loss of the Lusitania”.’ The Brecon County Times. 13 May 1915. 7.

• https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3857632/3857639/107 (link opens in new window)