Arizona republican., 1912-08-16
LIFEBOATS ABSURD"

Lifeboats are not necessary" not wise" and absurd. or at least sufficient number of them to provide for every assenger-entirely over looking the Crew-is so considered in the judgment of Harold SandersOn, director of the White Star line. And this astounding statement was not made before the Titanic" went down, but less than sixty days after that disaster. If there have been any doubts as to the necessity of strin- gent governmental control, they must now fade away before such d policy as this And the remark was not an accidental word, careleSslY dropped in casual conversation as the private opinion of an individual. It was part of the sworn statement of a man tes- tifying before the British investigating board as director of the White Star line But this s not the worst. The same witness went on to relate how, to appease public clamor. the "Olym- pie on her first WestbOund trip after the great disaster did carry sufficient boatage to provide room for every soul on board, women, children, men and crew. We started" testified Di- rector Sanderson, ito have number on board equal to the number of souls the vessel carried, but we saw that was absurd, SO we reduced them"
 As long as there are boats suffi- cient to save managing directors while the less fortunate passengers are get ting drowned, what matters?
 With such a policy as that now, while tears are yet flowing for the dead, can there be any surprise that the Titanic" was so miserably equip ped. Being questioned second time whether in the interest of public safe ty there should be 0ife) boat accom- modation for every passenger and every member of the crew, MT. San derson replied, In the same interest my answer is that it is not necessary and is not wise
 This announcement cannot but cause a decided shock to American travel CTS, however complacent our British cousins may be. If there be any 'ab- surditY" in so serious a matter is 1t not rather that British freight steam CTS must carry lfebOats for double the number of men on board; while a passenger ship intrusted with a hun dred times as many lives is allowed to leave port equipped to save but a fourth or a thirdi
 It was offered in excuse that there are certain risks in connection with going to sea, which it is impossible to eliminate, just as there are risks in traveling on land;" and Lord Mersey, president of the commission, seconded
 Mir. Sanderson with Quite right, ev- l cry person who goes to sea, or for
 
 cept some risks"
 The man in the street has some ] choice, he can take the other side or use another street or wait until a joy rider has passed; but once on the high seas he is without alternative. He cannot control the disposition of his
 own dead body or even that of his
 wife. The captain, whose word is law, can sew him in a sack and dump him overboard Of course there is risk in going to sea. which is precise ly the reason why steamship com panies which have so little regard for the safety of their passengers should be compelled to reduce that risk to a
 minimum That government has and can exercise such regulation is un- questioned If for instance an Ameri- can ship attempted to land it's pas sengers stricken with some terrible
 plague at a British port. would there be any hesitation in using cannon to prevent such landing, if necessary? A"Lifeboats absurd!" That the Iii tanic" could sink was also "absurd"-
 once It is the fancied absurdties of life that have made most of its great est tragedies. As the hundreds of 1 brave victims slowly sank into the icy waters of the North Atlantic We can imagine their last words
 | "Lifeboats? How absurd!"-H. H. Windsor in the August Popular Me chancs Magazine.