Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-04-26
SENATE INVESTIGATION SHOWS
TOO MUCH WAS TAKEN FOR
GRANTED.
NO PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL
TO BEAR eRUNr OF BLAME
Manager lsmay in Way to Spend Bal
anee Of Life Offering Explanations
Bravery Of Officers Of Ship Came
Too Late-Not Sufficient Life Boats,
No Drill, and Iceberg Danger Known.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
Washington. April 26.- The senate
investigation into the sinking of the
Titanic and into the reasons that lay
back of the darkest marine disaster of
history. has proceeded far enough SO
that it is possible to grasp in a general
way the truth as to what happened and
why.
The trend of the sworn testimony
thus far offered taken in connection
with the many known facts concerning
what occurred. points. not so much to
the fact that any particular individual
rs to blame. as to a stupid. fatuous,
laundering policy on the part of those
responsible in the last analysis for the
conduct Of the Titanic. that is the
White Star Company and the respon-
sible officers of the ship under the
company.
Isnay in Bad Light.
The whole truth as to the conduct
Of j. Bruce Ismay. president of the
International Mercantile Marine Com
pany. its managing director. has not
been cleared up. In the eyes of his fell
low men, it Is quite clear Mr. Ismay
will have to go thru life explaining
why 1t is he has survived when 1900
others on the Titanic were lost How
ever, there has come out in the investi-
cation much to indicate that the ques-
TORS involved regarding the loss Of
the Titanic are much bigger and broad
rthan the question Of what Ismay
did or did not do or just how far he
iS 0f
hension
Blundering and Bravery.
The general trend of the testimony
is calculated to show that the under
lying reasons why the Titanic is now
afioat are the reasons hat relate to
blind laundering overconfident jnef-
ficiency The same reasons underlie
the fact that hundreds of passengers
were not saved who might have been
saved even after the vessel struck.
The deeds OF heroism the gallant
conduct Of some OF the officers and
crew the magnificent self-scarifice dis
played. can not hide these facts.
II was case where size, bigness.
speed and similar qualities were al
lowed to be mistaken and misunder-
Stod for effectiveness.
The notion that the vessel was so
constructed she was unsuitable was
the covering for numerous weaknesses.
the cloak for oversights or hlunders
that would not have been though: Of
had it been felt there was need or the
utmost care lest the craft fail to rea ii,
port
Soma Apparent Facts.
Some of the facts now clearly p
parent are these:
That there were not enough lifebcsts
to float half the passengers and crew
if filed to their utmost capacity.
That the customary boat drill was
omitted in spite of the fact the crew
had been assembled newly from var
ious ships.
That the presence of icebcres was
known to the officers Of the ship the
Sunday evening before the vessel
struck.
That in spite Of this. there is no evil
dence any precautions Of an unusual
sort were taken.
Full average speed was maintained,
icebergs or no icebergs.
The lookout was not even provided
marine glasses tho an officer was
asked for them at Southampton and
this officer knew Of the presence OF ice
bergs hours before the vessel struck.
Consequently he knew that the vessel
was proceeding into dangerous quar-
ters without the lockout having the
advantage Of glasses.
The superstition that the vessel was
unsuitable had been instilled into the
minds Of passengers, so that many felt
it unwise to take to the lifepoats.
Officers Bravery Too Late.
The conduct of the officers Of the
ship was brave and courageous vhen
it was too late but there is no question
the lifeboats might have been made to
contain many more people. Sailors
were in some cases not at their stations
when needed to man the lifeboats.
Probably there was a general belief.
among officers and passengers that
whatever happened, with the wireless
at hand, help easily could be called.
This doubtless tended to help a!cng the
general disposition to recklessness.
The more that Is known Of the facts.
the more. it is beginning to be clear 1t
will be apparent, that had there been
no Iaxity anywhere along the line In
the management OF the Titanic and had
there been the strict, stringent discI-
pline in all particulars that would
have been felt necessary for naval
vessel, or even for a smaller passenger
vessel. the disaster would either rot
have occurred at all or its seriousness
would have been much lessened.