The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-04-26

Of the Carpathia telephoned to him in
New York on Thursday night after the
Carpathia had docked. asking permission
to give story OF the disaster. He said
permission was given by bun:
1T is an offence under British laws FOR
an operator to give out news, said Mar
conf. "Cottam used his discretion in
refusing to give out a story while on the
Friday Cottam said he would get some,
thing for story. l told him he could
give IL If he wished"
Senator Smith then read from the
wireless messages which had been inter
cepted by United States battleship
Florida and forwarded by its captain TO
the Navy Department. The messages
were all addressed to the MarcOn wireless
operator on board the Carpathia The
first one was sent al Si2 o'clock on the
night the Carpatha was coming up the
bay. II read:
Sea Gate to Carrathia. S:12 r. NJ. April
IS: Say. old man. the Marconi Company
Is taking good care OF you. Keep your
mouth shut and hold your story. It's
fixed for you so you will get big money.
Now please do your best to clear.
About fifteen minutes later the United
States battleship Florida operator heard
this message to the Carpathia;
Sea Gate toCarpathia and Titanic opera
tors. S 80 J.. NJ. April Is Arranged for
your exclusive story for dollars In four
figures. Marconl agreeing. Say nothing
until you see me. j. NJ SAMMIs, operator.
Then this message was caught:
Sea Gate to Carpathia operator. Q +. NJ.
April IS: Go to Strand Hotel. b02 West
Fourteenth street. to meet Mr.. Marconi.
AT p:o3 o'clock this message also was
sent:
Meet Mr.. Marconi and Mr.. sammis.
Strand Hotel. SOC West Fourteenth street.
Keep your mouth shut.
MARcoNi.
Mr.. Marconi when questioned main
tanned that he had not authorized any
Of these messa ges and he knew nothing
OF them. Ii was not his intention. he
said. to cover the news Of this great dis
aster and to sell it exclusively to one
paper.
Jack Binns's Precedent.
II don't know anything about that.
said Mr.. Marconi. Il told Mr.. Sam
mis- that "a an official Of the British COM
pany | would not prevent operators from
formation they had. 1t is not Gust ON
OF our company. but it was done in the
case Of former wreck-the wreck Os
the Republic. Jack Binns was permitted
to give his statement for pay
"Do you mean.' asked Senator Smith
that an operator under your company 4
direction shall have the right to prevent
the public from knowing Of the greatest
sea horror in the worlds history except
through the exclusive appropriation of
the facts by the operator who is cog
infant OF them?"
in regard to withholding information
I did authorize him il offered paymen,
! to accept it,
-If the mouth Of this operator was To
| be closed so the details Of that disaster
could not he printed. might not the British
public I've deprived OF practically ali the
facts concerning the sinking of the Ii
tanic?"
"You are assuming that I attempted
to obetruct the messages said Marconi
Il did not"
| Didn't Get Taft's Inquiry.
! q heard of the President q attempt &c
reach the Carpathia." the witness con-
tinued. Il asked Operator Cottam abou,
it and he stated that the Chester had
asked for list Of the survivors names
and that he told the Chester that this Lis,
had already been sent and acknowledged
by shore station.
-l also asked him about the President {
inquiry and he stated he had received NJ
such inquiry and that If he had he would
certainly have answered it,"
I'D ike your best judgment whether
the press privilege accorded Binns in ths
Republic disaster had anything to do witt
your failure to get and give out public
information about the Titanic Senator
Smith oueried.
in my opinion it had not. said Mar
conf. Il have no knowledge whatever
about any Of these alleged messages
did not talk to Mr. Sammis about it be
fore or since. except | saw Sammis ant
told him did not authorize that message
WHAT ] raeant. Marconi continued
when I told the operator to take some
thing for the story was that newspaper
would be so Interested III what he hac
10 saw ard in view of how Bride haC
behaved, so bravely and brilliantly. tha
; he could expect to be paid.
!. The inventor said he did not expect tn
operator to put the story up for the highes
bidder He merely wanted the operate
to know he could accept money if it wa
rendered him.
: The witness believed that both Cottan
. and Bride received pay for their stories
, He was told Bride got 500 from Ne,
. York paper. but he did not know wha
, Cottam got. He did not think any officia
of the company ever received any par
of the money paid Bride and Cotton
1T would be absolutely wrong he SAID
for them to receive anything from tn
, operators.
MnrcOnis Denial.
"All OF the information received by IN
Carpath HAS operator from the operate
of the Titanic was official informal ion,
said Senator Smith. That informatio io
YOU consented for your operator to giv'
OUT, did you notf'
NO. did not Bride had been secon,
operator on the Titanic. lie was no
compelled by any law or regulation I,
, withhold anything regarding his expert
ence lie had AZ much right TO tell of hi
rescue as any of the other survivors.
did not see Coitam that night. CAV
him no instructions as TO what he shOul
or should not say. emphaticaly den
that ! gave him any authority 10 Civ
/ out anything he should not
| Chairman Smith thanked MarcOui 70
. his sweeping denial, insisting that he di
not wish the public or the witness TO thin
that the committee suspected him c
. ANY unworthy motive.
= Mafconi reiterated that he was partic,
larly anxious that the public should hav
I the details and a. accurately az possibl
4 whether it was through the New Yor
a paper to which the story vas sold G
through some other source
Didnt Like -Four Figures" Messax,
This four figures message was tran,
r mitted when the Carpathia was enterin
> New York harbor, said Marconi, III
not expressing any opinion except that
- didn't authorize il, did not like il and di
not approve it, ! believe il would hay
r been better if the operator had sent OF
u story soon afterward to the Marcor
= company for public information.
"a he. NJ,