Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-11
.F[AY LORD MERSEY
English Journals CritiCiSe His
Titanic Findings.
PREDICTIONS CARRIED OUT
Expected That Nothing Definite
Would Be Determined.
SENATE OPINION BETTER
English Decision Probably Less
Honest Than That of Mr.. Smith,"
One Paper Declared.
PREDICTIONS CARRIED OUT
SENATE OPINION BETTER

Honest Than That of Mr.. Smith,"
One Paper Declared.
Special CableSram to The Star.
| LONDON, August 1O.-Cabled reports
from New York indicating the levity
with which Lord Mersey's Titanic report
was received in America have had cool
| ing effect on the English press. The
| weekly papers. commenting on the report
nearly all coincide with the American
| opinion.
| All virtually admit that the prophecy al
the beginning of the inquiry that Lord
Mersey would discover nothing and the
inquiry would amount TO nothing has
been justified by events. The fact is that
Lord Mersey was formerly counsel for
Mr.. Ismay and the White Star line. Dur
ing the progress of the inquiry he showed
himself the most astute and loyal of the
White Star lines able and expensive
counsel.
Shows Trend of Opinion.
The extent to which public opinion is
changing regarding the relative merits or
the Mersey inquiry and the United States
Senate inquiry is well indicated in the
following from this weeks issue of The
Throne:
1.-The Mersey inquiry into the Titanic
disaster has issued its report. and the
first thought that will occur to most peo-
pie is that on the whole it is worth just
about as much notorious Mr.. Smith
report and probably less honest.
Certain facts were definitely aScer-
tai Mt no
has not had the courage to face For
instance. there is the Californian episode.
Lord Mersey finds that the ship seen by
the Californian on that disastrous night
was the Titanic He records that the
distance between the two ships was not
more than eight to ten miles. The night
was clear and the sea was smooth. The
ice was loose. not extending for more
than two or three miles in the direction
of the Titanic. He believes. therefore,
that the Californian could have pushed
through the ice without serious risk and
so have come to the assistance of the
great liner.
Had she done so she might have saved
many if not all of the lives that were
lost.
"And that is all Lord Mersey sees fit to
say respecting the failure of Capt. Lord
of the Californian to have carried out the
sacred duty which from time immemOral
has been the first law of the sea. namely,
to go TO the rescue of a ship in distress.
Wireless Message Ignored.
His lordships findings on Mr.. Ismay
and Sir COsmO Duff Gordon are equally
unsatisfactory. He finds that Mr.. Ismay
was only an ordinary passenger and did
not exercise any authority on the vessel,
but he carefully ignores the significance
attached to the message reporting ice in
the vicinity which was handed to Mr..
Ismay and which that gentleman placed
| in his pocket. If Ismay had no part or
parcel in the conduct of the liner why
was the telegram handed to him?
THE learned judge also absolves Ismay
from any blame because he got into a
boat while hundreds of his passengers
were left to drown like dogs. His report
would have commanded more respect
had he ignored this episode, for if Ismay
had displayed the same characteristics as
many heroic victims showed. responsible
or not for the navigation he would have
scorned to save his life while many wOm-
en- remained aboard. And who could
have known better than Ismay that a
! number of women must have been left
behind?
1.-THE report will not, / fear. enhance
the opinion of either nation respecting
the traditions of British character
"Nobody Found to Blame"
The Bystander says:
Eve ventured to prophesy at the time
of the appointment that Lord Mersey's
Titanic inquiry would mot find anybody
particularly to blame for the tragedy.
And in that anticipation we are well
justified. Nobody is found to blame be-
cause nobody is to blame except the
board of trade. which, having no soul,
either to be saved or damned, can bear
anything.
"On the whole. our press has accepted
the findings with characteristic docility,
and those who have strong feelings
their reflection in the New York papers.
There the attacks on English cOurag e
and seamanship continue undated, and
| 1t is threatened to boycott the White
Star line"
embarrassing champion"
John Bull says:
"Mr. Masterman must look to his
| laurels or he will lose the whitewa shins
championship. Lord Mersey has dis
| covered that excessive speed in the ice
region was the immediate cause of the
Titanic disaster, and he thinks the board
Of trade ought to have brought it's regu-
lations UP to date. In running at this
excessive speed. Capt. Smith cannot be
said to have been guilty of negligence,
but even if the regulations had been
brought up to date 1t is doubtful whether
| they would have required boat accom-
mediation which would have increased
| the number of lives saved Capt. Smith
ought not to have handed Mr. Ismay the
warning telegram. and it was improper
| OF Ismay to have retained it. but tine
incident had no effect upon the navisa-
ton
| Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon might have
| encouraged the men to return to the
scene of the wreck, but the charge that
| he bribed them not TO do SO is unbound
| ed and. of course Mr.. Is:nay die the
right thing in jumping into the iifeboat
We shall now watch for the announce
ment of the total cost of the inquiry
1t is now announced that the total cost