The Washington times., 1912-04-25
U. s. S. Florida to the Navy Depart.


The Messages.
THE following radiograms were in
tercepted by Wireless Operator
Simpson and appear significant
enough to be brought to the atten-
ton of the department:
Seagate to Carpathia, S:12 p. m,
April 49,:
Say. old man. the Marconi Com
pany Is taking good care Of you. It's
fixed for you so you will get big
money. Now please do your best to
clear
'seagate to Cerpathia and Titanic
operators $3.50 m. April IS:
Arranged for your exclusive
c"ni agreeing. Say nothing until
). N. sAMM1s.. Operator c.
'seagate. 70 Carpathia operator.
:; Go Go to- to strand Hotel. A,, West
Fourteenth street. to meet Mr.. Mar 4
- 'seaeate to carpathia operators.
Meet Mr.. Marconi and sammis
at Strand, 542 West Fourteenth.
Keep your mouth shut ,co>,,..
"All the above messages were sent
by the commander of the Florida to the
Secretary of the Navy" said Senator
Smith; What can you say about that
Mr. MArConl!
Marconfs Explanation.
II don't know anything about that.
I told Mr.. Sammis that as an official
o fthe British company would not pre-
vent operators from making what they
could out of the information they had.
! 1t Is not a custom of our company. but
II was done in the case of a former
wreck-the wreck of the Republic. Jack
Binns was permitted to give his state
ment for pay" ,
| DO you mean" asked smith, tha'
an operator under your company's d.
rection shall have the right to prevent
the public from knowing of the greatest
sea horror in the worlds history. ex-
cept through the exclusive appropria-
tion Of the facts by the operator who
| Is cognizant OF them?"
| Not at all. gave no instructions III
regard to Withholding information.
did authorize him. II offered payment
/ to accept it."
"If the mouth OF this operator was
TO be closed so the details of that dis.
| aster could not be printed, might moi
| the British public be deprived OF prac'
tically all the facts concerning the sink
9You are assuming that attempted
to obstruct the messages" said Marconi
| II did not
II hes rd of the Presidents attempt tc
reach the Garpathia'" the witness % con.
about II, and he stated that the Chester
had asked for list of the survivors
names. and that he told the Chester
that this list had already been sent and
! acknowledged by shore station.
Never Received Taft Query.
'I also asked him about tho Presi.
dents inquiry, and he stated he had re-
ceived no such inquiry, and that II hs
had he would certainly have answered
it."
"Td like your best judgment If tho
press privilege accorded Binns in thi
Repubiic disaster had anything to dC
with your failure to get and give ou
public information about the Titanic,
Senator Smith queried.
In my opinion. 1t had not" saiC
Marconi. II have no knowledge what
sages:"
1t before or since, except saw Sammi
and told him did not authorize tina
message"
What l meant" Marconi continued
when told the operator to take some
thing for the. story. was that news
papers would be SO interested in wha
he had to say. and in view of hoy
Bride had behaved, 80 bravely and bril-
liantly. that he could expect to be paid.
Let Them Accept Money.
The inventor said he did not expec
the operator to put the STORY" up 70
the highest bidder. He merely wantet
the operator to know he could accep
money II IT was rendered him.
The witness believed Cottam an
Bride both received remuneration 70
their stories. He was told Bride go
$500 from a New York paper, but h
did not know what Cottam got. He di,
not think any official of the compan
ever received any part of the none
paid BRIDE and Cottam.
l at would be absolutely wrong" h
! said, ''for them to receive anythin
, from the operators"
"All of the Attenuation received b.
the Carpathia's operator from the oper
ator of the Titanic was official informa
; ton" said Senator smith. The in
formation you consented for your op
!, orator to give out, did you not?''
mo, l did not. Bride had been sec
ond operator on the Titanic. He wa
not compelled by any law or reglIla
} ton to withhold anything rsEardin