New-York tribune., 1912-05-29

yG2Sels naloen voyage, was lnIoFmeu'
Mo general alarm was given nor any or.
garizod system Of sefety undertaken,
OF the 1924 passengers and 800 mem.
hers Of the crew on board, there was
room in iif,boats for only 1,176 persons,
and because Of lack OF orderly dlsci-
pine the boats took off only 7o4 persons,
twelve being rescued from the water,
Officers of the White Star Lire "bat.
tied With The truth after receiving in
formation from their Montreal office OF
Monday morning following the accident
Senator Smith condemned 'antiQuated
shipping laws and overripe administra
tive boards and asked that all nations
act together in shipping reforms. New
laws he said will best testify our a.
fsctlon for the dead
Defends His Committee.
A. the outset Senator Smith defended
the course Of his committee IN holding
British subjects 70 secure their testi-
mony without delay. and brieAy an
swered criticism Of his lack Of nautical
knowledge. He said
Our course was simple and plain-,o
gamer the facts relating. TO this disaster
while they were still vivid realities. Cues
tons of diverse citizenship gave way 10
the universal desire for the simple truth
y Wss Of paramount importance that We
shoG!d act quickly 10 avoid lurlSdCt.Cral
confusion and organized opposition at home
or ABROAD. We, Of course, recOEn!Zed that
ne ship was under a foreign flag, but the
;lEes OF many OF our own countyymen had
n 70 ri 10. = So,
had been put IN grave peril. and u was
VITAL that the entire matter should be re-
viewed before an American tribunal II leg
guidance.
Without any pretension 70 experience or
special knowledge Of nautical affairs, nev-
ertheless I an OF the opinion that very
Few important facts which were susceptl-
BE Of being known escaped our scrutiny
Energy IS often more Cesira BILE than learn
ing, and the inQusltion serves a useful
purpose to the state.
In the construction Of the Titanic no
limit OF cost circumscrlhed their cndeavor.
and when this vessel took its place az the
head or the line. every modern improve
ment in shipbui!ding was supposed to have
been reallzed-So confident were they that
both owner and builder were eager 10 go
upon the trial trip.
When the crisis came. o state Of abso-
Iute unprep5lecness stupehed both passen-
gers ana crew, and In their despair the
snip went down, carrying as needless q
sacTlnce or noble women and bravo men
as ever clustered about the Judgment Seat
IN any single moment or passing time.
Leaves Punishment to ENGLAND
we shall leave to the honest iudg-
ment Of England its painstaking chas-
tisement Of the British Board Of Trade
to whose laxity Of regulation and hasty
inspection the world IS largely indebted
for this awful fatality" continued the
Senator "Of contributing causes there
were Very many. II the face Of warn
ing signals speed was increased and
messages Of danger seemed 10 stimulate
her 10 action rather than to persuade
her to fear Senator Smith went on:
The Titanic rushed onward on her true
Coorse-one recognized as appropriate and
aSEted upon NY mariners as The luteina-
uonal highway for wtsthOuud vessels vet
dangerous al this season Of the year y hen
the Labrador current may be bearing vast
masses or ice across the track OF ships
scores OF these towering glaciers planted
themselves In the very pathway Of this ship
ana were so large and So numerous that in
the absence OF fog, they should have been
easily discernible by the lookout IL ss he
says IN his testimony, he had been supplied
with glasses
Captain Smith knew the sea and his clear
eye and steady hand had often euided his
ship through DANGEROUS paths. for forty
years storms sought IN vain 10 vex him or
menace his craft His Indifference 10 dan.
ger was ono OF the direct and contributing
causes Of ttls unnecessary tragedy. While
MS own Willingness 10 die was the ex-
piaunS evidence OF his fitness 10 live: those
OF US who knew him well-uot in anger, but
IN sorTCV-fle one specific charge against
| him ovcrconAdence and neglect 70 heed
the oft-repeated warning Of his friends
but IN his horrible dismay. WHEN his brain
was afre with honest retr'out!on we can
sui see IN his manly bearing and his ten
Ger so!cltlCc Tor the safety Of women and
/ iltt4e chl!drent some traces OF his lofty
! spirit.
| The mystery Of his indifference to dan.
ger, when other and less pretentiOuS Ves-
! sells doubled their lookout or stopped their
engines, finds no reasonable hypothesis in
conjecture or speculation; science In ship
/ building was supposed 10 have attained per-
I recuon and 70 have spoken her last word {;
! mastery or the ocean had at last been
3 achieved; but ovcrconhdeuce seems TO have
aulled the faculties usually so alert With
/ the atmos phere literally charged with warn
| ing signals and wireless messages regis
| ter!nS their last appeal che stokers in the
engine room fed their fires with fresh fuel,
/ registering IN that dangerous place her
/ fastest speed.
! Nature gave d warning Of approaching
peril so significant that passengers in state
. rooms and steerage shut Out the chill and
spoke 10 one another Of the sudden cold.
Sailors OF the Grand Bank know the i'm
portznCC OF the thermometer. which is al
compass. Even the ouarternaster, Hichens,
who regularly took the temperature Of the
water from the sea. said, 1T suddenly
/ became bitter cold and added that the
/ first order received by him from Second
Officer L.ghtoner at o'clock Sunday even
ing was TO take his compliments down 70
/ the ships carpenter and inform him 70
look 70 his fresh water, that IT was about
I q freeze '