The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-05-28
National News Associaticn)

tSational News Associaticn)
WASHINGTON. May 2S.-Responsi-
bility for the Titanic disaster and the
loss of over 1000 lives was placed up
on the British Board of Trade today
by Senator William Alden Smith of
Michigan, chairman of the committee
which Investigated the worlds great
est marine disaster.
In the most striking speech heard
on the floor of the senate in a decade
he scored the "laxity of regulation
and hasty inspection of the British
Board" The senator gave as causes
contributing to the disaster:
THE indifference to danger main
tanned by Capt. Smith, who lost his
life in the disaster.
4The increase of speed despite
warning signals and messages of dan.
ger.
Though pointing out the rashness
of Captain Smiths actions, the sena-
tor praised him as a dauntless hero of
the sea whose willingness to die was
the expiating evidence of his fitness
to live"
Smith first mentioned the purpose
for which the Titanic investigators
had been appointed and reviewed the
scope of their work. Then describing
the construction of the giant liner.
he declared that so confident were
both owner and builder that the ship
represented the last word in ship
building that they were eager to go up.
on her maiden trip. Continuing he
said:
No Sufficient Tests.
mo sufficient tests were made of
boilers or bulkheads or gearing or
equipment and no life-saving or sig.
nal devices were tested; officers and
crews were strangers to one another
and the passengers to both; neither
was familiar with the vessel or with
its implements or tools; no drill or
station practice or helpful discipline
disturbed the tranquility of that voy-
age and when the crisis came a state
of absolute unpreparedness stupefied
both passengers and crew, and in
their despair the ship went down car.
rying as needless a sacrifice of noble
women and brave men as ever cluster
ed about the judgment seat in any
single moment of passing time
We shall leave to the honest judg-
ment of England it's painstaking chas-
tisement of the British Board of Trade
to whose laxity of regulation and has.
ty inspection the world is largely In.
debted for this awful fatality. OF con.
tributing causes there were very
many. In the face of warning signals
speed was increased and messages
of danger seemed to stimulate her to
action rather than to persuade her to
fear"
In discussing Captain Smith, the
Michigan senator mingled tribute to
his knowledge and bravery with criti
cism for his indifference to the warn
ings which had been given him of the
| presence of ice.
Pure of character, dauntiess as q
sailor should be-" said the senator
| 'he walked the deck of his majestic
structure as master of his keel, Titanic
though she was; his Indifference te
| danger was one of the direct and con
tributing causes of this unnecessary
| tragedy while his own willingness to
die was the expiating evidence of hi:
own fitness to live"
| Charge Against Smith.
Those Of US who knew him we'll
not in anger, but in sorrow-file one
| specific charge against him, over-con
fidence and neglect to heed the of
repeated warnings of his friends: but
| in his horrible dismay, when his brair
was afire with honest retribution W.
can still see in his manly bearing ant
his tender solicitude for the safety o.
| women and little children, some trac
es of his lofty spirit when dark cloud.
lowered all about him and angry ele
ments stripped him of his command
The mystery of his indifference tt
| danger. when other and less preten
tious vessels doubled their lookout OF
stopped their engines, finds no reason
able hypothesis In conjecture o.
speculation"
yividly describing the disaster a.
pictured by the survivors. Senator
Smith pointed out that at the instan
of contact with the ice the navigator
/ turned the nose -of the ship aside u
avoid collision with the result thai
the blow was struck at a point lesI
capable Of resisting the impact thar
the prov of the vessel would hav.
been.
Telling of the scenes that followet
the senator said:
/ Life belts were finally adjusted Il
all and the lifeboats were cleare<
! away, and although the strangely in
sufficiently In number. were only par
TALLY loaded and in all instances un
provided with compasses and -onl.
| three Of them had lamps. They wer.
manned 50 badly. that In the absenc,
Of prompt relief they. would have fall