The Washington herald., 1915-07-31
A Di.credited Investigation.

Secretary Redheld may as we'll stop Investigate
ing the capsizing of the steamer Eastland, task
assigned to him by the President of the United
States. His inquiry has been discredited and
ridiculed, and any decision he may announce will
be worth less than nothing Secretary Redfeld
has pursued the identical course that has
brought disreputc and censure to nearly all Con-
grcssional or governmental Investigations in re-
cent years. Like the other inquirers he began
with a mind obscured by prejudice and closed
to enlightenment. Following the illustrious ex-
ample of the chairman of the Industrial Relations
Commission, for instance, he encouraged and ca
joled witnesses supposed to possess knowledge
favorable to his preconceved notions, and in
devious ways sought to disconcert. confuse and
discredit those with information to mpart in con-
hict with his prematurely drawn conclusions. Wit
nesses were treated as public benefactors culz
prits according to whether not their knowledge
conceded or conflicted with the views of the in
vestigator.
Secretary Redfelds first public announcement
in connection with the Eastland catastrophe after
his arrival in Chicago, was that blame could
be attached to the steamboat inspectors for the
Eastlands lack of stability, because the law gave
authority to no government agency to pass upon
that question. The Herald has already called at
tention the grotesque falacy of this contention
But it was good start from the standp point of the
Secretary of Commerce. the department having
the inspection in charge. When the taking of tes-
timony actually began this Cabinet officer, COM
missioned by the President to place the response
blity for the loss of the lives of I4oo of the East
lands passengers gave even palmer evidence OF
mind made up in advance Here is an extract
from the press report of the examination OF Capt.
Nelson, of the Federal service:
do YOU agree with the genius who discover
ed that the Eastland has flat bottom! asked
Secretary Redheld
Another genius has discovered that the East
land had no keel. Do you agree with him.
mo"
Mr.. Redfeld might just as we'll have said to the
witness: az am going to quote to you two asser-
tons of an imbecile and ask you whether you, as
an intelligent man, believe them; OF course you
don't" And further on, when Mr.. Redheid was
nterrogating Robert Reid, the inspector OF steam
boats who granted the Eastland permission to
carry $500 passengers on July ?, and whose SON
in law, J. NJ. Erickson, was chief engineer OF the
Eastland, the press dispatches thus reported the
incident:
81 understand you guilty of having son-ln-
law" began Secretary Redheld.
yes" asserted Reid.
"Did YOU make the arrangement by which he
became your son-in-law and got Job on the
NO"
The witness denied he had ever received favor
from any of the owners of the Eastland or any OF
the crew. not even from his son-in-law. He had
heard the Eastland was cranky" but had no tear
that his daughter would lose her husband through
his employment on the SHIP
OF course this man who admitted that he was
guilty of having a son-in-law' as chief engineer
of the Eastland may be innocent of anything that
contributed to the capszing of the vessel, but his
off-hand acquttal by Secretary Redheld Will NOT
satisfy the public the President.
1t is no wonder that the representatives OF the
law. Federal and State, unite in condemnation OF
the Redheld investigation. Its report need never
he written, unless it be necessary for the adorn-
ment of the archives of the Department of Com
merce; instant recognition as spurious awaits any
attempt to circulate it. The inquiry was conduct
cd on methods dictated by prejudice and its ind
ings will be as valueless those OF the Federal
Industrial Relations Commission.