Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-16
House Committee to Discuss
Disasters to Ocean Liners.
LESSONS OF LOST TITANIC
Chairman Alexander Thinks Toe
Large Ships Are Built.
GRIPPING OF THE WIRELESS
Legislation Looking to An Interna-
tional Agreement May Be
Necessary.

Insuficiently Of life-saving apparatus.
Necessity of United States laws and
international action requiring foreign
registered ships to be amenable to hui
name regulations.
No need for such huge ships.
Necessity for further regulation of wire
less telegraphy so the wireless cannot
be put out of commission by an accident.
Determination of the committee on
merchant marine and fisheries to take up
these propositions with view to action
by Congress.
These are the points made by Chairman
Alexander of the House committee on
merchant marine and fisheries, in an in
terview given to the press today.
Boats Apparently insufficient.
Chairman Alexander said:
From the meager reports concerning
the awful disaster that overlook the
Titanic and the resulting loss of life and
the fact that probably less than one
fourth of those on board were saved, al
though four hours interviewed from
the time she struck the iceberg
until she went to the bottom, which
would seem to- have been ample
time for the transfer Of the passengers
and crew to Hfeboats, it is indicated that
the lifeboats provided were wholly in
sufficient to protect or rescue those on
board. and that the failure to provide
these Ffeboats was gross negligence and
suggests want of care in the inspection
of the vessel.
The disaster also directs attention to
the serious defect in the laws If they do
not require ships to carry ample life
boats for such emergencies as this.
Immense Ships Opposed.
1T also demonstrates that ships of
such great size are subject to peculiar
hazards. and that in the event Of an acct
dent the results may be most appalling
on account Of their difficulty Of naviga-
ton. This was shown before in the &C
cident occurring to the sister ship Olym-
pic not long ago in the English channel,
and emphasizes the fact that this catas-
trophe ought to put a stop to the building
OF such immense ships.
There is no commercial need for them.
They are more liable to. accidents than
ships of ordinary size that can be han
died In an emergency with greater care.
The fact, too. that the larger ships carry
so many more passengers is an argu-
ment against their construction, since in
case OF their sinking the loss of life is
so much greater.
Gripping Of the Wireless.
THE press accounts of the difficulty in
the Transmission of the wireless messages
indicate that there should be changes
made in the laws regulating wireless
telegraphy. 1t seems that soon after the
Titanic struck the iceberg the wireless
apparatus was put out of commission.
1t may be that some other method than
that NOW in use can be devised
Certainly it demonstrates !, that the
whole wireless apparatus should be sep
arate In every way from the machinery
don. 9 g Rat I6e last az ssin ksn H
be affected by a collision or other dis
aster would be this method of eommuni-
cation which enables a sunering vessel
to communicate with vessels that may
come to her aid.
1.-The merchant marine and fisheries
committee will soon report out bill to
regulate radio-communication. Reports
indicate that the receipt Of MESSAGES from
the Titanic was much hamperedl by the
interfereHce" of amateurs. Legislation
ought to be had to prevent this ,abso-
lutely in the future:
las the reports received UP to this time
are but -fragmentary, it is too soon to
know just what the conditions were or
what legislation may be necessary to pro-
tect the safety of lives and property
1T may become necessary for some
action 10 be taken by International agree
ment looking to the better protection of
sea traffic and regulating the size of ships
and enforcing more stringent rules in the
adoption of safety appliances and pre-
scriDing what routes vessels should travel
at certain seasons of the year. Certainly
everything should be done that, can be
done to prevent a recurrence of the terri
BILE tragedy that has taken place in the
case OF the lost Titanic"