The Washington times., 1912-05-28

the criticism Of any except the actual
passengers on the ship, making II all
tons.
fully denned, strength Of bow more posi-
tive and watertight subdivision TO limit
submergence, life-saving equipment bet
ter and numerous enough for all, dis
action eve more Ss Keen anS'msr' and esr alert 10
catch the warning cry, as on British
pattieships as we'll as on our own, pow
erful lights should be provided>for mer-
tally submerged derelict; buoys should
be carried by every ship to mark TEN.
porarily the place Of the ships burial
In case OF accident; and men OF strength
cadent.
but 10 per cent Of the men before
the mast In our merchant marine are
natives or naturalized Americans; even
england, that twenty years ago had
barely 1000 orientals on her merchant
ships, now carries over 10000 of that
allen race. Americans must re-enlist in
TINS service, they must become the SOL
oiers OF the sea, and, whether on look
OUT, on deck, or at the wheel whether
apie or common seamen, they should be
bfIb1f, beIter PAID for their labor and more
tights must be respected, and their work
carefully performed harsh and severe
restraining statutes must be repealed,
enS, ena new dignity given this important
Committee Not Biased.
Senator Smith in his opening remarks
told of the work of the subcommittee.
He said the committee had been guided
solely by public interest. without bias,
prejudice, sensationalism, or slander of
the living or dead"
''EnaFQV tS nffan
learning" he said, "and the inquisition
serves useful purpose to the state"
He recounted the story of the warn
ings the Titanic had received of the
was maintained as the vessel rushed on
to her doom.
Warnings Are Ignored.
or warnings of danger and the in
difference to the warnings Of Captain
Smith, Senator Smith said
AT noon on that fatal Sunday the
stea amship Baltic varied her Of Ice
within five miles of her track and near
the place where the accident occurred;
~ 8 o'clock in the afternoon and again.
g few miles away the eal steamsSip Then caii. ali.
forrian signnled the Titanic 10 beware
of danger, which her operator curtly
acknowledged: the Same evening the
cffice in washington a message from
the steamship Amerika. saying she had
passed '.wo large icebergs' near the
track Of the ill-fated ship. In the face
of these warnings, each revolution of
her engines marked at the moment Of
the collision her highest Apeed Of
twenty four and one-half miles per
hour"
Praises Captain Rostron.
Telling in detail of the failure of Cap
tain Lord, of the California, to give
aid, and commencing in high terms the
conduct of Captain Rostron. Of the Car
pathia. Senator Smith said:
why did the Californian display its
Morse signal lamp from the moment of
the collision continuously for nearly
two hours II they saw nothing? And
the signals which were visible to Mr..
Gill at 1890 and afterward, and which
were also seen by the captain and offi-
Ger of the watch, should have excited
mora solicitude than was displayed by
the officers of that vessel, and the fall
ure of Captain Lord to arouse the wire
less operator on his ship, who could
have easily ascertained the name of the
vessel in distress and reached her In
time to avert loss of life, places a tre-
mendous responsibility upon this officer
from which 1t will be difficult for him
in the movement of his vessel as he
was active in displaying his own signal
lamp, there Is q very strong proba biltty
that every human life that was sacri-
ficed through this disaster could have
been saved. The dictates Of humanity
should have prompted vigilance ,under
such conditions.