The Washington times., 1912-04-25
MARCON| DENIES HE
TOLD WIRELESS MEN
TO HOLD up NEWS
Inventor Tells Senators He
Did Not Authorize
Censorship.
Continued from First Page.)

FdSe.)
conf to try to show the committee that
the operator was under no requirement,
in fact, was restricted. as to the send
ing out of information from his ship
on his own account.
He denied emphatically that so far
as he knew there was any refusal on
the part of the Carpathia wireless op-
orator to answer an inquiry from the
President.
Senator S&mith proceeded to read the
four radiograms which were intercepted
by the Florida and deemed of SO much
reported them to the Navy Department.
One of these told the operator on the
Carpathia:
Keep your mouth shut and hold your
story. It's fixed for you SO you will get
big money"
This and the other messages were
intercepted Monday night. One Of them
to the Marconi operators on the Car
pathia and Titanic, said:
Arrange for an exclusive story for
dollars in four figures. Mr.. Marconi
agrees"
This was signed by ]. NJ. Sammis. OF
the Marconi Company in New York.
Another told the Carpathia operator
to meet Marconi and Sammis at the
Strand, 5o2 Fest Fourteenth street.
Knew Nothing of Them.
II don't know anything about any of
those messages" declared Marroni
He then told oe having said TO Mr..
Sammis or to Mr.. Bottomlcy, Of the
New York Marconi office, That the
operators could sell their stories If
they wanted 70.
II was anxious that IL they could
they should make email amount Of
money"
ais that a custom of your company P''
asked senate Srnith.
1T is NOT. It is done on very special
f9rmrr occasion. at the time of The
Republic accident. Operator Pinns was
p' rtnittrd TO Sell his story"
DO YOU wish tha committee to under
stand YOU approve that methods"
,"I was in favor Of his getting some
thing out Of his story"
senator Smith asked him II < were
true that with the rush there was for
greatest sea disaster in history, 1t was
his wish that the public should be pre-
vented knowing the facts save as the
operator was cognizant Of them.
Not at all. l gave no advice as to
an exclusive story for anyone"
He reiterated this declaration and
said: II regret that they did not send
something more before they reached
New York"
He declared that in his belief the GUS
tom exercised by Binns and the privi-
iege gwen Cottam ana Brloe or selnng
stories had nothing to do with prevent
Ing the public, which was clamoring for
"details, getting the news.
! Referring to the intercepted radiogram
ne wss as. alleged to hiS hsye -, sent, and that
IT saw Sammis some time since. and
said to him: You know I did not
authorize that message"
20 far as he knew Sammis or Bottom
Icy or any member Of the Marconi
company got part of the money for
Keeping silent or selling stories, and
further took the position that Cottam
had not violated the laws of England in
giving out his story.
Leading up to what he said on the
subject Of the intercepted radiograms
the testimony of Marconi was weari-
some. He was asked numerous ques-
tions that touched on matters ex-
traneous to the Titanic disaster. He
he was chief engineer and chairman
OF Marconfs Wireless Telegraph Com.
pany of London and that his company
had contracts with the British and
various other governments.
One striking statement he made was
that the longest wireless transmission
he knew of was from Clifton, ireland
to Buenus Aires. about 5000 miles.
He predicted general use of the wire
less in the future for long distance
communication. He did not know
whether 1t would be available for shor
distances, as between New York anc
Boston.
Smaller Crowd.
The hearing today drew out a much
smaller crowd than on the previous
days. The same rush was not evident
The only members of the subcommittee
who remained through were Senators
Smith, Newlands, and Fletcher. TIL,
prolonged questioning of Marconi or
general wireless data was tedious ant
Of little value.
1smay was on hand as usual with hi
detectives and his lawyers.
Among the women present was Mis-
Gage. of this city, daughter of Mrs
Mary Gage.
It was expected that Fourth Office
Poxhall would be put on the stan
again. but he was reported still sick
began that the policy would be to hurr
through with the sailors from the TT
taniC, who are impatient to go and who
II Is feared, will duck outh and ship o.
the first craft they can reach.
1t was noticeable that the sever
grilling of Marconi drew forth fnall
a protest from Senator Newlands, VIII
apparently thought 1t was going t
needless lengths.
II was evident that the position 1
which ne was placed, OF being unde
the shadow Of an imputation of havin
in some way connived at the CONNER
, cializing of the dark accounts, of thi
greatest tragedyp of the deep. was. ir
tensely irving to Marconi. At the clos
of his testimony, when he wGs succeed
ed bv Cottam. he looked a sweatinl
nervous substitute for the calm dappe
individual lie was when he took tn
stand.
Talks About Operators.
4r. Marconi said that operators wer
Employed, paid, and certified by tn
&arconi Compan" and that they mus
also hold a certificate from the Britis
government. Operators must be able
repair apparatus, and to transmit an
receive messages at certain speed. II
said that he considered the experienc
of Cottam, Bride and Phillips sufficien
lie Gid not know these operators Del
sonaW until after they reached Ne
York.
In response to a series of question
by Senator Fletcher, Mr.. Marconi CAV
his ideas about the proper regulatio
of wireless transmission. He said tn;
in England, where all wireless station
must be licensed, and where II Is
punishable offense to conduct a static
without a license, that different way
lengths are used by the government