Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-04-30
BE JUST AND NOT CRUEL.

BE JUST AND NOT CRUEL.
While I do not take much stock in
zfr. Ismay-one Of the owners Of the
Titanic steamship. which collided with
an iceberg in mfdOcean, last Sunday
night--it would be well 10 call a halt
on the vituperatfon which has been
heaped upon one man. and the disre-
gard that has been shown TO various
other men connected with the Titanic's
brief existence. The main fact that
underlies the whole business is the be-
lief that the Titanic was unsinkablel
With ten or eleven compartments, built
OF various thicknesses OF steel, rivet-
ed with millions of steel bolts. we were
assured that no vessel could sink so
long as q single compartment was air
tight and empty. The Titanic had been
examined By the most expert builders
OF ships in England. before she left
the port OF Southampton She stood
the test. and people who wanted TO
cross the Atlantic were profoundly i'm
pressed that this brand-new ship was
the most perfect Of its kind-and abso-
1utetly unsuitable Mr.. Ismay was de-
ceived. along with the other owners.
he risked his money in the undertak-
ing and he also risked his life on this
trip He believed. with others. that the
Titanic was unsinkabIe: and when the
fact Of its failure fell upon his con-
seriousness. the natural thought OF his
own family and their condition also fell
upon him He had but few minutes
in which 10 consider these things; and,
while ne may be blamed for attempting
70 save his own life. he had the I'M
doubted right to do so. in the face Of
certain death
While Il may be true that a man
who saves his own life is to be dubbed
q coward. and the man who chung TO the
Titanic and went TO the bottom in death
may be dubbed herOes-the instinct OF
self-preservation is the strongest force in
animal nature. and when Mr.. ISmay saw
a chance Cor seat in lfeboaO and no
women near him. asking for the seat
ne took It. Until 1t is shown conclusfvely
that the passengers on the Titanic had
lost faith IN the ship. IL would be will
10 remember that they all believed the
ship was unsuitable and that the hulk
could be toWed into port. sooner or later,
and hundreds preferred 70 risk the Grip
pied ship. rather than the frail boats on
the stormy Atlantic
some years. ago the Slocum burned to
the waters edge in the harbor of New
York city. On the Slocum LOO men, wom-
en- and children were cremated OF drown
ed Fire boats were near at hand, but
the S0lcum burned up in plain sight OF
the people living in New York city ava
land. and with no relief provided. and
the people living in New York city saw
the tragedy Il was an unexampled hor-
ror. and the only heroes and heroines
were the Salvation Army people who
held each others hands and sung "On-
ward. Christian Soldiers" until they sunk
beneath the waters. forever.
Mr.. Ismay was asleep at the time OF
collision and much time was consumed in
trying 20 discover the condition OF the
ship after the iceberg struck her In a
couple OF hours. the crisis was upon him.
lie had ben deceived as 70 his own ship.
Whether the coal bunkers were on IRE
or whether the iceberg tore out the en-
tire bottom Of the steamer we do not
Know. but nobody knew what was the
cause when the Titanic reared up and