1915.05.28 “The Neutral Definition”
by William Norman Ritchie (1866-1947)
14 x 16.5 in, ink on paper
Coppola Collection
Ritchie was known for signing his work simply as 'Norman'. On 16 July 1892, he began working at the Boston Post, where he worked for over fifty years as their political cartoonist. Before shifting his focus to politics, he was well-known for his coverage of murder trials such as the Lizzie Borden case in 1893. Throughout his lifetime, he became well versed in politics and was often approached for advice by local politicians. He was a close friend of former President Theodore Roosevelt and was acquaintances with former President Calvin Coolidge. Although many politicians were often the subject of his cartoons, many respected and admired his work at the Boston Post.
On May 28, 1915, following the sinking of the British passenger ship RMS Lusitania by a German U-boat on May 7, Germany responded to the resulting international condemnation and protests, particularly from the United States, by defending its actions.
Germany argued that the Lusitania was carrying munitions and war supplies (contraband of war) intended for Britain, making it a legitimate military target within the war zone around the British Isles. They had issued warnings in American newspapers prior to the Lusitania's voyage, advising travelers that ships entering the war zone were at their own risk. Britain, by allowing civilian passengers on a vessel potentially carrying war materials within the declared war zone, was effectively using those passengers as "human shields".
While defending its actions, Germany also expressed regret for the loss of life, particularly the American citizens on board. However, the German government's main stance was that the sinking was a necessary act within the context of the war and its declared unrestricted submarine warfare in the waters surrounding Britain.
The US, meanwhile, demanded an apology, compensation for the American victims, and assurances that Germany would abandon its unrestricted submarine warfare against passenger and merchant vessels. The diplomatic exchange that followed would ultimately lead to Germany temporarily curbing its submarine warfare in the Atlantic, but the Lusitania sinking remained a significant factor in shaping American public opinion and relations between the two countries, eventually contributing to the US entry into WW1.
