The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-19
HAGUE SHOULD REGULATE LAW
 OF LIFE BOATS
Statutes of Various Countries
 Are Wildly at Variance
Authority Proposes Uniform Rules to Cover Vessels
 of All Countries

The growing feeling that there should not only be more lifeboats on the transatlantic steamships until each vessel carsies on her decks accommo- dations for the saving of every soul, passengers and crew, on board, but that there should be an international agreement upon the subject, was voic- ed yesterday by Charles von Helmolt. General Manager for the North Ger man Lloyd Steamship Company. He declared that the subject was one for the immediate consideration of The Hague Tribunal.
 With the laws of every nation at variance regarding the safety of pas sengers on steamships" he said, 'T believe the proper solution is to have The Hague Tribunal take up the ques- tion immediately and adopt such joint regulations as would insure as near absolute safety as is possible, under which regulations all steamship com panies of every nation would be com pelled to operate.
 'It is a matter which demands in- ternational agreement. Take, for i'm stance, company like the North German Lloyd. It must conform to the maritime laws and regulations of no less than four countries in car I and Germany. Our steamers have Bremen as a home port and are under the Jurisdiction of Germany;by touch ing at Southampton they come with In the regulations and laws of Eng land; at 'Cherbourg, where passen- gers from Paris come aboard, the French maritime laws apply, and py landing finally in New York there are fthe American laws to be compiled with
 No company Is more anxious to see absolute safety assured to all pas sengers than is the North. German Lloyd. This company has not only compiled with the letter of the laws, but in every case has exceeded the legal requirements in providing for the safety of its passengers. Every feature which has been advanced, no matter by whom, has been carefully and painstakingly investigated, and, if found to have real worth, has been immediately adopted. This is true not only of the North German Lloyd but of all other steamship lines.
 With the coming of the wireless telegraph, water-tight compartments, submarine signals, improved fire-fght- ing apparatus, and the other devices of the last ten years. the steamship companies have believed the margin of safety to be practically perfect.
 "In the case of lifeboat and life
 
 steamship arriving at or. departing from New York City that carries it's maximum number of passengers. When the season rush begins for Eu rope, in April, May, June and July, the cabin accommodation is filled, but during these months the steerages are practically deserted, for it is at this time that the outdoor construc- uon work of the great companies is being carried on. The foreign labor element is then fully employed. This labor comes over from Europe in the early months of the year, when there is little or no cabin business
 When the outward bound steerage business increases late in the Fall, the cabin rush to Europe is over.
 Taking into consideration these facts the lifeboat and life raft equip ment had been considered by the American, German, French and Eng fish Governments as ample. In most cases the steamship companies have even exceeded the rigid requirements of the various Governm entS. but if it Is considered that even this is in- adequate all companies would stop at no end to safeguard more fully their passengers as far as is practicable.
 Certainly the safety of human life is vastly of more importance than the settlement of sealing rights or of boundary disputes. which subjects were so skillfully handled at the Dutch capital.
 "The Hague Tribunal is peculiarly fitted to deal with this situation. The interests of the various countries are 90 closely interwoven that it is hard to differentiate between their legal re- Quirements. Thus could the Hague Tribunal formulate recommendations which would carefully cover every point now contained in the laws of the different countries.
 ''The steamship companies, I know, would gladly cooperate to the fullest extent in carrying out any idea or project which would make for great CT safety at sea-
 Shipping men, one and all. admit ted yesterday that one sequel to the sinking of the Titanic would be re- forms in regard to the boats and oth CT life-saving devices upon the mod ern liners, which, until the sinking within few hours of the largest ves sel in the world, were regarded at least by the travelling public, as un- sinkable.
 This sentiment has already found expression in Washington and in Eng land the same question is now receiv- ing attention. The British Shipping act did not contemplate the coming of the 900-foot liner, and the Titanic with her ten life boats on each side, carried more than the requirem ents of the British Board of Trade.
 This scarcity of lifeboats was in the mind of the British lawmakers when just before the first trip of the Olympic a member of the House of Commons questioned Sydney Buxton, President of the Board of Trade as to the number of lifeboats she carried.
 There is no criticism that can be attached to this Government as to conditions on the Titanic" said Hen ry NJ. SeeIey, Supervisor of the Steam boat Inspection Service. Under an international agreement we have to accept the certificates of the British Board of. Trade. The requirements of this Government take in the in- creasfng size and passenger carrying capacity of the transatlantic liner and after passing a certain point of tonnage extra boats are required for each 500 additional tons.''
 A list of the passenger-ca ocean going vessels flying the United States flag and under the inspection district of which Capt. Seeley is the head, shows that cOast-wise vessels and those going to Southern ports are in the main supplied with boats sufficient to carry both passengers and crew In the case of the Amer ican liners, which are under the own ership of the International Mercantile Marine Company, which includes the White Star Line, the list shows that they do not carry enough boats for all who may be on board.
 The steamship New York, for ex- ample is certified to carry 1,595 pas sengers and crew and yet she carries only IS boats and seven raftS enough