The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-22
The Captain of an Ocean Liner
Is a Real Autocrat.
HIS WORD IS ABSOLUTE LAW.
He May, II He Deems II Necessary.
Put Passenger In Irons or Clap
Him In . Cell, and In Cases Of Emer-
geney 10 Empowered to Take Life.

H.
him to u cell and clapping irons on
him for safe keeping.
Wouldn't the bird of American lib
erty set up a scream? Wouldn't the
old and badly cracked Liberty bell
resOnate In discordY
After one of the great transatlantic
passenger steamships leaves the three
mile limit of New York the passenger
Is in foreign territory on the high seas.
English. French. German whatever
the dag al the masthead ship is a
section of it's fathrrland. floating in the
high seas. where only maritime laws
regarding It's transit In times of peace
may hold check upon the czardom of
the ships commander. on or OF the
bridge.
No czar has more power within his
territory than has the captain of the
great Atlantic liner on the high seas
He Is ON an isinnd of his country's
Ownprship--a floating island. having a
population of $40 employees and look
Ing after the welfare and safety of per
hars S.tnO passengers. he il prac
tically the administrative. executive
and judicial single Individual. such rs
exists rarely on the map of present
day civilization. Aside from his au
thority over mankind. he may have
$I.OONtNO of vessel under him. to say
no, hing of the International mails and
millions In gold In transshipment.
There's the captain" IN q whispered
bit Of comment made million times
year 10 the bpginninR Ut the pas
sages Of great ocean stra nshipa And
generally the captain looks the part.
Il n ao, ~ much his unifarm riihe<
Ordinarily The captain In NOT younR
There Il gray In nis hair. musiache
or beard. That young man 10 his
twenties. no matter what bis school
Ing for beginning the work. isn't called
at ruoyienr's notice to the captain
bridge. He musl have his ma ximum
OF training for SIX Or seven numbers
below before he Is called to the foo,
OF the ladder.
On the british passenger vPSsels
most Of the beginners al navigating
an ocean vessei of the 6rst class will
have had tieutpnant's commission
from the navy. II IL from the royai
navy rcscrvps that the lowest officers
vacancy II filled FILLING n. be has bib
chance to rise to the position Of cap
tain.
:. A 70 the Capitalize authority: One
midnight. when In a fog the White
Star Baltic struck the German oil
etea lnahip Standard. the Rattle needed
Its captain. and, be was there. His
ship carpenters were rushed TO the
bow of the vessel and began the work
of patching up the hole In the Battles
steel sheathing.
Suppose that In stampede Of the
Baitic's crew its employees had rushed
up to al its b0atss II waa within the
captains power to have shot down the
leader-to have brought about war a.
the knife. revolver aud ride In the In
terests of his vessel and its passen
gers Or bad some passenger or pas
senEers bespme panic stricken and
against orders menaced the welfare ut
the majority ON the xhip death would
have been dealt With the same rigid
discipline which requires Of the cap
tain that he be the autocrat at his
post.
There are no forms Of writs or war
rants necessary There IL no court a,
which the passenger or the seaman
may give bond 10 that instant OF
sudden great emergency which arises
the captains weird Ia more than writ
| ten law; II Ia the unwritten common
law Of the high seas, In the spirit o!
which the vigilance committee of tn,
wild west Of the United States rose
lawlessly lawful.
To-day the captain Of the great liner
may step into the Npalatial cabin aud
command order. He may go into the
smoking cabin ana stop the game OF
cards al which the sharper Is playing
for his stakes. In case Of refusal that
ancient land right Of no deprivation
Of liberty without due process of law"
becones farce. The cell room OF
even the iran manacles of the cap
tain's authority may be- used upon the
iHdividuai who has paid $500 or 81 .OOC
for his suit of rooms and his passage
On the high seas the captains shiV
besonles an autWratic democracy. The
| Individual In the first cabin and at the
captain's table must share with the
| Immigrant far below th0se equities
that are granted 10 each 10 bis place.
Don't buck the captain" said an
official In the offices of great srpa M
ship line. HE Is all there In Of author
ity. He Is the supreme entity of his
| ship He IL dressed for It: but. more
than that. be Ia trained to 1t. He h
empowered to take life II he must, and
on land this In the most serious Of all
Wings In the statute books"
| Commodore of the teet" Ia one al
/ the offices toward which the old sea
captain looks. not envinrsly. not with
Cisdain. 1t IL naval uumber In the
passenger service which marks the
age Of retirement. There IL honor Ii
the title II does not descend to bis
children. He gives half hls life to the
gaining of 1t. and II means that bis
activities and powers are at an end
Chicago Tribune.