New-York tribune., 1912-04-18
LIGHT NEEDED.

\ thorough 1nNeStlSdtiOu VI thr t"HSi"
of false and conflicting messages about
the Titanic which deceived the world on
Monday Is imperative. The newspapers
both in Europe and America published
reports from Cape Race, Montreal and
! Nova Scotia containing positive state
ments about the rescue and saying that
the Titanic was in tow. These were not
invented in New York or London. They
came from different sources and were
sent out by different news agencies. 1t Is
of the utmost Importance TO trace them
down, find out what dispatches we're
really sent out from the wireless sta
tions and what was the information or
misinformationi on which they were
based.
Much allowance must be made at such
time for confusion and excitement, for
the disposition Of every operator 10
transmit for what II Is worth every ru-
NOR he hears. for mistakes in transmits
sion and reading Of signals, for the ten
dency to error and msinterpretation
until a story is transformed In series
of relays. Rumor may grow by wireless
as well as by word Of mouth without
anybody intending to exaggerate or
falsify. Some operator. catching the
message that the Virginian was stand
ing by. might innocently have passed it
on with a trifing change, so that before
long she would be said to have the I'll
tanic in tow.
Such allowance, however, does not
account for all Of the dispatches--the
detailed reports of safety, the definite
statements of sinking, officially denied
only 10 he later confirmed. Neither does
it account for a curious feature OF the
official dispatch from the Olympic given
out on Monday afternoon. '"rhe Even
ing Sun" published its text, saying that
it was received by the line at II :05 a. m.
1t was: Partisan and Carpathia in
attendance on Titanic. Carpathia has
taken twenty boatloads Of passengers.
"Baltic approaching. Olympic 260 away
The substance OF the same dispatch was
published elsewhere. All that appears
to have been true. But later It devel-
oped from a dispatch, also received from
the Olympic, that when the Carpathia
reached the scene and picked Slp those
twenty boatloads the Titanic was al
ready sunk. and she found only the
boats and wreCkage. II is almost IN
credible that the Carpathia should have
sent the message Of the rescue without
telling OF the sinking. which she GER
tainly knew when she took the casta-
ways aboard. It is equally incredible
that the Olympic, in passing on the re-
port. should have omitted this most es-
sential fact. or that the officials of the
line should have suppressed any part Of
Captain Haddock's report. One eXplana-
ton is suggested. that this first Olympic
dispatch was sent second, and meant to
convey details Of the twenty boats. while
the captain in the dispatch received later
had already told the fact and the hour
of the sinking. If so. how and where
were the messages crossed?
1t would not be fair even 70 hint that
anybody through timidity or for sinister
purposes sought TO deceive the world
about this tragedy. Many circumstances
may account for the trouble But full
light is needed on these circumstances.
IF irresponsible persons are confusing
wireless dispatches, as they have done
in other cases If the system is so loose
that rumors from no trustworthy source
can be sent out as facts without posi-
bility OF tracing them. the situation
should be known and corrected. Too
much depends on the trustworthiness of
wireless reports for the toleration Of
such confusion as they have been re-
sponsible for in this instance