Docket No. 580.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
on behalf of
Theodate Pope Riddle,
Claimant,
v.
GERMANY.
PARKER, Umpire, rendered the decision of the Commission.
This case is before the Umpire for decision on a certificate of the two National Commissioners[a] certifying their disagreement.
Miss Theodate Pope, an American national, then 48 years of age, was a passenger on the Lusitania and suffered injuries to her person and loss of property when that vessel was destroyed. Miss Pope was in the water some time before being rescued. Her experiences were peculiarly distressing. When rescued she was unconscious and was resuscitated with great difficulty after prolonged effort. She sustained bruises on the head and body and suffered from exposure and severe shock. She was en route to England with Edwin W. Friend to pursue studies in psychical research and to confer with the members of the English Society for Psychical Research. Mr. Friend was and Miss Pope’s maid were both lost. Miss Pope’s physical and mental condition was such as to necessitate abandoning her mission which took her to England. After some two months spent in England and France she returned to her home in America. She expended substantial amounts during the period of convalescence in the payment of doctors’ fees and other expenses incurred in an effort to regain her health and strength.
Her personal effects lost on the Lusitania were of the value of $4,850.
On May 6, 1916, Miss Pope married John Wallace Riddle, an American national.
Applying the rules announced in the Lusitania Opinion and in the other decisions of this Commission to the facts as disclosed by the record herein, the Commission decrees that under the Treaty of Berlin of August 25, 1921, and in accordance with its terms the Government of Germany is obligated to pay to the Government of the United States on behalf of Theodate Pope Riddle the sum of four thousand eight hundred fifty dollars ($4,850.00) with interest thereon at the rate of five per cent per annum from May 7, 1915, and the further sum of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000.00) with interest thereon at the rate of five per cent per annum from November 1, 1923.
Done at Washington January 14, 1925.
EDWIN B. PARKER,
Umpire.
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[a] Dated December 22, 1924.
