The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-04-26

received no such inquiry and that II
he had he would certainly have an
swered IL"
I'D like your best judgment as TO
whether the press privilege accorded
Binns In the Republic disaster had
anything to do with your failure 10
get and give out public information
about the Titanic" Smith queried.
In my opinion II had not" said
Marconi II have no knowledge what
ever about any OF these alleged mes
sages."
u did not talk to Mr.. Sammis about
Il before or since, except saw Sam
mis- and told him did not authorize
that message"
What meant" Marconi continued,
when told the operator TO take
something for the story was that
newspapers would be SO interested In
what he had to say and In view OF
how Bride had behaved, so bravely
and brilliantly, that he could expect
TO be paid"
The inventor said he did not expect
the operator TO put the STORY" up
for the highest bidder. He merely
wanted the operator TO know he could
accept money IL IL was rendered him.
Marconi said the longest distance
he had ever known a wireless mes
sage TO be sent was 5000 miles from
Clifton, Ireland, to Buenos Ayres, Ar
gentine.
How long did ii take the message
TO cover the dlstance? asked Senator
Smith.
About one-twentieth OF a second
was the reply.
you mean less than a minute?"
Is II mean 1t was as quick as light
ming fash"
Marconi declared that a ship should
have an operator on duty at all times.
The Californian, Carpathia and Mount
Temple each carried but one operator.
Marconi said he was informed at
1880 o'clock Monday evening. April
10, that the Titanic had sunk. The
news was 'phoned to him by the Am
erican director of his company. He
did not inform the White Star line be-
cause he had been told that the
steamship company knew about 1t.
"All OF the information received by
the Carpathia's operator from the OPP
orator on the Titanic was official in
formation" said Smith. That infor-
nation you consented, for your opera
tor to give out, did you not?"
mo. | did not. Bride had been sec
ond operator on the Titanic. He was
not compelled by any law or regu-
lation TO withhold anything regarding
his experience. He had as much right
to tell OF his rescue as any of the
other survivors. did not see Cot
tam that night. gave him no In
structions as TO what he should or
should not say emphatically deny
that gave him any authority to give
out anything he should not
Chairman Smith thanked Marconi
for his sweeping denial, insisting that
ne did not wish the public or the
witness to think that the committee
suspected him of any unworthy mo-
tive"
He denied personal knowledge of
the message, saying Chief Engineer
Sammis. OF the New York office. was
Marconi said an interview with Cot
tam and not wireless message was
meant TO be held for big money
bonus.
Senator Smith, In opening the hear
ing, said he understood dispositions
would be taken today from officers
and crew of the steamer Mount Tenn
pie, which is said to have been Ave
miles from the crippled and sinking
Titanic.
Smith wanted to know II 1t would
not be wise for the Marconi company
&c show the same courage and dis
cipline that Operator Bride showed.
~ certainly do" Marconi said.
Smith recalled that Bride did not
leave the sinking ship until a few
minutes before it sank because the
captain had not given him permission
to leave.
Don't you think it would have