Life — May 11, 1916 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# The Lusitania Issue Explained This page discusses Germany's May 7, 1915 sinking of the RMS Lusitania, a British passenger ship that killed over 1,200 people, including 128 American citizens. The two cartoons use dark humor to critique the situation's progression. The first (May 7, 1915) shows Lady Liberty asking Germany's U-boat commander what he's doing; he dismissively responds "I sink." The second (May 7, 1916) depicts Liberty again, now asking why he didn't do "something about it"—with the U-boat captain still present, implying America took no meaningful action for a full year. The accompanying text details the U.S. government's diplomatic complaints to Germany without breaking relations, criticizing the administration's patience while American lives were lost.