On May 1, 1915, the American morning papers carried a warning from the German embassy, reminding travelers, “that a state of war exists between Germany … and Great Britain,” and that those “sailing in the war zone … do so at their own risk.” While not specifically directed at the Lusitania, the notice was placed alongside an ad for Cunard’s Europe via Liverpool service. Reporters flocked to the Cunard terminal at New York’s Pier 54, where the Lusitania was preparing to depart. That evening, papers carried stories of threatening telegrams and shady characters with messages of doom weaving among gathering passengers. Cunard spokesman Charles P. Sumner reassured the press that while, “The fact is that the Lusitania is the safest boat on the sea. She is too fast for any submarine.” (New York Evening World, May 1, 1915) Only two canceled bookings were attributed to the warning.