The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-17
LIFE PRESERVERS
SHOULD BE SOUND
NATIONAL LAW is WANTED.
PRESIDENT HIMSELF RECOMMENDS
SUCH A COURSE.

General SIOcum Disaster Report of
United states Commission of In
VestiGntiOn FiIed-ROoScNeIt sends
Lengthy Letter 40 Secretary OF
Commerce and LnbOr-ROdie, Du-
mont and Barrett Must Go-Presi-
dent Uses Positive Language.
Washington, oct. 16.-The report of
the United States Commission of In
vestigation upon the disaster to the
steamer General Slocm, appointed
June % last by the then secretary of
Commerce and Labor, George b. Cor
telyou, and consisting of Lawrence O.
Murray, assistant secretary of Com
merce and Labor; Herbert Knox Smith,
deputy commissioners of corporations;
George Uhler, supervising inspector
general of the steamboat inspection
service; Gen. John M. Wilson, u. S. A.,
Retired, and Commander Caleron MGR.
Winslow, U. S. N. was made public
to-day.
In connection with the important
finding of the commission reported in
the report, President Roosevelt, to
whom the report was submitted, has
written a letter to Secretary Victor II.
Metcalf of the Department OF Com
merce and Labor, briefly summari-
ling the report and directing him to
carry into effect the recommendations
of the commission.
Recommends Three Discharges.
He also directs that Robert s. Ro-
die. supervising inspector of the Sec
ond District, Steamboat Inspection
Service, and James A. Dumont and
Thomas II. Barrett, local inspectors in
charge of the port of New York, be
discharged from the service, the conf
mission holding them directly respon-
sible for the laxity of the steamboat
inspection to which the Slocum disas-
ter was directly attributable.
Commissioner Uhler dissents to that
portion of the report which places re-
sponsibility upon the supervising in
spector of the Second District, Robert
S. Rode, otherwise he concurs with
the commission. Appended to the re-
port is u report from the Department
of Justice and criminal proceedings
connected with the disaster and the
life preserver cases.
whut President Thinks.
The Presidents letter to Secretary
Metcalf follows:
white House, Washington, oct. II,
1904.-My Dear Sir: j have received
the report of the commission of the
United States on the Investigation of
the General Slocum disaster and the
report of the Department of Justice
on Oct. H. recapitulating what has
been done by the Department of JUS
tice in criminal proceedings taken
against various individuals because of
their connection with the disaster.
II send you herewith copies of the
report. Punitive action by the govern
ment can, of course only take two
forms. One that of legal proceedings
against those either within or without
the service, and, two, removal from
office of those within the service. 1t
appears that the Department of JUS
tice has already secured indictments
against the master and captain of the
Slocum and against the managing di-
rectors of the Knickerbocker Steam
boat Company, to which company the
Slocum belonged, for misconduct, neg
ligence and inattention to duty by the
captain. for aiding and abetting there
ing by the managing directors.
Returning of Indictments.
Furthermore, the Department Of
Justice has secured indictments against
Henry Lundberg and John w. Fleming,
the assistant inspectors Of the steam
boat inspection service who actually