The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-11
BRUCE ISMAY, TITANIC
 SURVIVOR. WILL BE 50
 YEARS OLD TOMORROW

Bruce Ismay, was attained a not altogether desirable notoriety follow ing his rescue from the Titanic, will celebrate his hfteith birthday tornor- row, having been born at Liverpool on Dec. 12, 1882. As president of the International Merca ntile Marine Com pany. MT. Ismay is perhaps the worlds most influential steamship man. The scorn and criticism heaped upon him by the press and people of the United States, and which he accepted with an air of defiance. almost of bravado, have not been without effect upon the head of the great steamship corpora tion. To be denounced as a coward and craven by millions of people is not a pleasant experience, and it is small wonder that J. Bruce Ismay is, as is reported, "prematureIy aged by the tragedy of that terrible night and it's aftermath.
 late Thomas Henry Ismay, who was the head of the old shipping house of Ismay. Inrie & CO. and the grandson eh soSeen m HnrP qIeT @od and a pioneer in the modern steamship business, and founded the White Star only on the North Atlantic, but also between San Francisco and the Orient and England and Australia. After completing his education at Harrow, J. Bruce Ismay entered : the business of his father, and as a young man was the New York agent of the White woman. Julia Florence schieffeltn the daughter of George R. Schieffelfn. md they have had four children, two sons and two daughters.
 In 1890 Bruce Isnnay returned to his native land and became a partner in Ismay, ,Irmie & Go. His father. died in 1899, and shortly. aSterward he be- came chairman and managing direc- tor of the White Star line. He suc-s ceeded C1emont A Griscorn as presi- dent of the Interna tional Mercantile Marine Company six years ago. and thus became the head of the giant corporation which controls the White American transatlantic steamer lines.
 MT. Ismay's home is in Liverpool, but until the tragedy of last April he spent much of his time in New York. It was his custom to cross the tOcean on the maiden voyage of every new liner and thus 1t happened that he was personally involved in the Titanic dis aSter.
 When the accounts are balanced it will probably be found that MT. Ismay merited neither the wholesale conde lem ertcan people, nor the whitewashfng bestowed upon him by the British court of inauiry- Whether he was that undoubtedly caused the wreck ing of the giant vessel is som ething that can never be known Fair play Q0rnanOS CnaL ne De COnS106rGQ 1nnO- cent unless he can be proved guilty and he cannot be proved guilty. True he saved his own life when women and children died; but how many men are certain that they would not do likewise under similar circun- stances?
 It must be punishment enough for Bruce Isrnay to know that there were nen-miIlionaires and stokers. black and white, religious and atheist-who were given the opportunity to drink from the cup of life, and calmly and stoically turned down an empty glass If MT. Isrnay profits from the exper- fence through which he has passed, and sees to 1t that every possible safe guard is provided for the passengers on his lines-and it is only fair to say that he has shown a dfsposition to do so-he may be of more value to humanity as a living steamship direc- tor than he would have been as dead hero.