The Washington herald., 1912-04-26
THE PEOPLES FORUM
Asks Fair Piay for Ismay.

TO the Editor: II Is to be hoped. nov
that the terror OF the recent catastrophJ
that laid hold on US is In a measur'
removed. and that praise Tor the deac
and our rejoicing for the living are tax.
ing the place OF our dumb bewilderment
there VIII be found a returning sense Of
proportions, ana that. among other
things, Mr.. Ismay's premature condem'
nation win be displaced BY a calmei
and more dignified attitude toward him
He may, or may not. have taken the
part OF the hero, but his personal con-
duct at the time or the accident has no
bearing on the matter, and should play
no part in the investigation. In fact.
his own statement should be considered
final in the absolute lack OF any accept
able testimony to the contrary. No one
seems 20 have assumed the response
bility or directly charging MIN with
cowardly conduct from a personal
knowledge or from observation, nor that
he embarked in any but the last boat
that left his deck; nor that ne was not
ordered to take an oar in the boat; nor
that there was any one else on the deck
to be saved when he embarked; nor
that a single life was lost because his
life was saved. Let US be just; at least
wait for a calmer mind to Judge OF the
matter.
In regard to his interference with the
navigation OF the vessel, any one knows
that the skipper Is supreme on the deck
OF his ship when at sea. and who doubts
that Mr.. Ismay knew that well and re-
spected the law OF the sea? He placed
his own safety, that OF his great ship.
the lives Of his confiding passengers, and
the valuable cargoes in the hold. In the
care OF Capt. Smith, and II is. childish to
suppose that he would for a moment
seek to influence his chosen commander
OF the ship. and TO induce him to swerve
from his duty and do violence TO the
seamen's knowledge and salt air In
stincts. To what extent he was respon-
sible for the miserable equipment OF the
ship is quite another matter.
Capt Smith was alone responsible for
the navigation of his ship, and no mat
ter what his orders, direct or implied
and from any source, in regard to
speed. course. or records, as a wise sea-
man he would ignore them all when
the conditions arose that demanded the
exercise of his own Judgment and the
safety OF his charge. He Knew that In
any event he. and he alone, would be
held personally responsible. and prop
erly SO, and he could not afford to sue
C1AlAb u aAAg AAAAAhNAlS INAaN aASNcAANGN
that authority invested In him as su-
preme. Whatever he was. In what re-
miss, In what fulfilling every obligation
OF manhood and duty, he knew that
when his ship stranded upon that berg
he was broken, and following the ira
ditions of his class he died. He did
well: but. IL seems to me he left to
another the heavy burden of his possi-
BILE. carelessuess and foolish confidence
in the indestructabillty OF his craft-a
fatuous confidence no seaman should
be guilty of though a thousand expert
builders told him It was q lifeboat Of
Itself
/ cannot speak too earnestly in this
matter. Let US be decent. Let us not be
cads. pouring vituperation and heaping
SANDER. perhaps, on a man who, after
the ferment of misguided and excited
sentiment. has given place to calmer
may, and probably will be
found to be a much-injured human being.
Tomorrow we may feel shame as q na-
tIon.
After all, the fault Is ours. The wreck
Is the logical result of the Wild chase for
the unusual: our childish demands for
speed; for luxury, ex-
element. pleasure. and the forbidden
things; for a thousand foolish freaks that
tell OF our insanity, ''as II were"