The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-29

TOGO orientals on her merchant ships, now carries over 10000 of that alien race. Amer | jeans must re-enist in this service, they | must become the soldiers of the, seas, and whether in the lookout, on the deck or at the wheel whethe rable of common sea- mon they should be better paid for their l labor and more highly honored In their calling; their rights must be respected. and their work carefully performed; harsh and severe restraining statutes must be repeated and new dignity given this inn portant field of labor
 Report of Committee
 Just before delivering his speech Senator Smith, chairman of the sub committee which investigated the wreck of the Titanic. submitted the committee report Conclusions were attached The report is largely re- view of the evidence. It contains rec commentators for legislation.
 No particular person Is named as being responsible though attention Is called to the fact that on the day of the disaster three distinct warnings of lee were sent to Captain Smith. J. Bruce Ismay. managing director of the White Star line, is not held responsible for the ships high speed. He Is barely | mentioned in fact. On the whole the report Is impassive and Senator Smith l in his speech went more fully into a discussion of the causes of the disaster than does the committee.
 l The committee agreed upon these principal conclusions: The supposedly water tight compartments of the ship were not water tight, because of the | non water tight condition of the decks where the tranverse bullSheads ended i. the steamship californian controlled by the same concern as the Titanic was nearer the sinking steamer than the 20 miles reported by her captain tie distress signals of the Titanic and failed to respond to them in the dictates of international usage, re- quirements of law and in the interests of humanity.
 Californian To Blame
 The committee, concludes that the Californian might have saved all the lost passengers and crew of the ship that went down. Eight ships all equip ped with wireless were in the vicinity of the Titanic, the Olympic farthest away, 521 miles. The mysterious lights on an unknown ship seen by the pas sengers on the Titanic undoubtedly were on the Californian less than 10 miles away The full capacity of the Titanics lifeboards were not utilized because while only 706 persons were saved the ships boats could have car ried 1i76 persons
 | No general alarm was sounded, no whistle blown and no systematic warm ing was given to the endangered pas senEers and it was 15 or 25 minutes after the collision before Captain Smith ordered the wireless operator to send out distress messages. The crew of the ship were only slightly acquainted .w.o a nf o drill was held before the maiden trip Many of the crew joined the ship only a few hours before she sailed and were in ignorance of their positions until the following Friday
 Warnings Disregarded
 l Ice positions so definitely reported to the Titanic just preceding the ac- cdent. located ice on both sides of the lane in which she was traveline, ere ated no discussion. No conference was called among the officers to 'behoovs the warnings. No heed was given them
 The speed was not reduced, the lookout was not increased. The first official information given the committee de- clares the message, was from Captain Haddock of the Olympic received from tile White Star line at 6:l6 o'clock Monday night. April 15. Attention is called to the fact that in the face oi this information message reporting the Titanic being lowed to Halifax was
 sent to Representative Hughes al Huntington, W. Va. at I:l7 o'clock al night that day The message was de livered to the Western Union in the same building as the White Star line offices. it was reported.
 Whoever sent this message" says the committee lis guilty of the mos reprehensible conduct. The committed does not believe the wireless operator on the Carpathia was duly vtgilant IL handling his messages after the aeci, dent. and declared the practice of al