It weren't the rifle cartridges that worried some people in Britain that exactly this might happen.
- The shells carried were declared as empty in the papers, but in other cases shells declared empty had been filled.
- The fuses had been stored near by.
The British authorities thus took great care to support claims for a second torpedo hit - preferable to the theory that the shells had exploded - responsible for the 'second' (follow-on) explosion.
So, assume one clever American newspaperman investigating and publishing:
1. 'Lusitania' was registered as an armed British auxiliary cruiser.
2. She was regularly transporting shells and ammunition from the US to Britain.
3. The US administration had done nothing to prevent her citizens riding on a British ship of war.
4. The British admiralty had done exactly nothing to warn or protect 'Lusitania' - while British warships had been warned about the presence of U20, and been re-directed.
Might have well resulted in a public outcry and a more distanced Wilson outbalancing the pro-British faction (House, Lansing, Hines) - and much more critical stance concerning the British blockade.