New-York tribune., 1912-05-29
Chairman of Senate Committee.
in Report on Disaster, Says
CaIifornian'S Commander
Shares Responsibility,
CHARGES BRITISH LAEITY
LEGISLATORS in Tears as Prober
Denounces Captain Lord and
Tells of Failure of Dead
Officer to Heed Ice.
berg Warnings.
From Inc Tritur. Bureau 4

From Inc Tribune Bureau
Washington. May 23-Blame for th7
Titanic disaster IS chargeable directly 70
the failure Of the dead Captain Smith TO
heed repeated warnings Of iceberTs
ahead. but responsibility for unneces-
sary loss Of life must be shared by Cap
tain Lord Of the steamship Californian
through his disregard Of distress sig
mails. This is the finding Of the Senate
committee which investigated the sink
ing of the Titanic, as prepared in a COM
prehensive speech delivered by William
Alden Smith, Of Michigan, chairman IF
the committee.
Senator Smith declared that responsi-
bility also rests upon the British Board
,cf Trade. ito whose laxity Of regula-
tion and hasty inspection the world is
largely indebted for the awful fatality"
IN denouncing Captain Lord Of the Can-
fornian the Senator said the Titanic s
distress signals were plainly seen from
ME deck Of his vessel, & short distance
away.
America will leave to England the
chastisenent of those guilty, asserted
the Senator, and he quoted British law
80 show that Captain Lord might be
prosecuted for a misdemeanor.
AS the fruits Of the lesson tC he learne
from the Titanic disaster, the commit
tee submitted, together with its report,
recommendations for legislation de-
eigned TO safeguard passengers on the
!sea from the fate Of those who went
down with the great ship.
Senator Smith presented the report
with the bill IN which the recommenda-
lions for legislation are embodied He
also presented a Joint resolution convey
1ng the thanks Of Congress to Captain
Arthur Henry Rostron. and through hir1
20 the officers and crew of the Carpathia,
for prompt and heroic service in rescu-
ing 7O4 lives from the wreck of the
Titanic. The Senate, waving the USUAL
procedure, passed the resolution immedi.
ately by a unanimous vote, without re-
rerring II to a committee for Considera-
tion. This will give to Captain Rostron
the privileges Of the floor Of both houses
of Congress.
The Committees Ideas in a Bill,
which are embodied in q bill also sub
mitted, are as follows:
Veilant supervision over steamships
BY the steamboat inspection service
which is authorized to issue inspection
certificates.
Lfeboat capacity for every passenger
end member Of crew, the passengers to
be assigned to place in the boats be.
fore sailing and tho crew to be drilled
in manning the boats by constant prae.
tioe.
Two electric searchlghts for every
ship carrying more than one hundred
passengers.
The regulation of radio. .telesraphy
with provisions that ships will have ar
operator on duty at all times,
A watertight inner skin, or hull, either
In the form OF longitudinal bulkheads o.
Of an inner bottom.
Transverse bulkheads extending fror
vertically to the uppernost continuous
structural deck
Senators, in Tears, Hear Smith.
II was evident when Senator Smitl
arose 10 present the report and to ad
dress the Senate thst the feeling arousec
BY the disaster had not grown less
keen, although weeks have passeC
since then. As Senator Smith went on III,
chamber became silent, except for th'
low and measured voice IN which h
delivered his adress. Senators, many O.
them with their hands shading theiI
eyes. followed him with close attention
but with an air Of detachment as i
each We're struggling with his own emo
lions and waiting for The shadow 0!
the tragedy called up by the address e
pass At times some Of them brushed
the tears from their eyes From the al
titude of the spectators in the GALLERIES
and the Senators on the floor, the per
feet silence. the low tones OF the speaker
Snd the feeling with which each auditor
listened to the narrative Of this the
greatest Of marine tragedies, the pro
Ceedings seemed more like a memorial
service than legislative session.
There was an air Of relief when Sen
stcr Smith brought his address 10 q
close end, as If drawing a line' e'betweer
that which belonged 10 the past and
that which lay with the future. intro
duced the bin which is designed 20 elm
mate the defects of the existing naviga-
tion laws
senator Smiths Conclusions,
other conclusions presented by Senator
Smith. in brief. We're as follows:
Before the titanic departed on her
maiden VOYAGE there we're no sufficient
tests Of boilers. bul<hesds, equipment OF
signal devices,
Officers and crew were strangers &c
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