New Britain herald., 1928-01-20
Declares Testimony of Coast Guardsmtn on Destroyer Of
 Biased and Preiudiced Nature
REPRESENTS RELATIVES
 OF SUBMARINES CREW

Occurred When S-4 Failed To Sex
 Destroyer Whose Men Admit They
 Saw subn,ersible Arising-Pauld-
 ing Was Going 1s Knots m Hour
 Boston, Jan. 20 R-Responsibility for the collision which resulted ir the sinking of the submarine S-4 was placed upon the coast guard destroy CT Paulding by Lieutenant Com. mander Thomas J. Doyle. represent ing the relatives of the 70 victims, in his closing address before the naval board Of inquiry today.
 Biased Opinions
 He said that the story of the col. lision had come mainly from the ot- ticers and crew of the Paulding. who were interested to such an extent that they were biased. The only de- duction possible from their testi- mony, he added. was that the sub marine had not seen the Pao.ding and had come to the surface with out seeing her until too late to syc.: 2 collision
 Captain Oracle and surfmas Sim mons of tie Wood End coast guar1 station, Doyle said, were the only disinterested witnesses of the colli- sion and they had told story at variance with that of the men aboard the Paulding. The Paulding hs said the testimony showed. was making IS knots an hour following along the line Of buoys when her commanding officer ordered a change of course to the left five de. grees, bringing her closer to tho buoy that marked the outer end o the measured mile.
 Gractc's Testimony 1 Oracle. watching from the coas guard station, saw the ship chang, to tho left and a short time late SAW her begin to swing to the right Doyle said the officer of the deck ol the Paulding had been ordered t, swing off nearer to the white buoy. i That buoy, Doyle asserted. wa :, 10 doubt in his mind. and when h, saw the white feather caused by thu submarines periscope %he no doub mistook it for the white buoy"
 What probably happened on tn S4 Was this." Doyle continued. "Sh was on a course probably north o west when she saw the Pauldin change her course ct the left an, head in for Provincetown. At thi time the submarine was we'll cleai probably 500 yards on the starboar r bow of the Paulding.
 'The periscope which was facin dead ahead was probably trained O the Paulding at that time. However because of the proximity Of the oth CT ship they decided to plane to tn surface. That was good submarin practice and on the side of safety.
 About the same time and befor the S-4 could reach the surface th officer Of the deck on the Paula ing saw the periscope and ordere Right rudder.' On the S-4 they bs gan to pull in the periscope. Min seconds later the crash came.
 Meantime on the submarine th collision alarm had been sounded and most Of the doors were close before the collision. Otherwise th torpedo room door never would ha, been closed. Everything was done | the submarines crew that could done"
 Washington, Jan. 20 tPt-The col troversy between democrats and r puhlicans on the naval committee { to whether the administration congress is to investigate the S. disaster was taken to the floor the senate today with Chairma Hale leading the fight for an inquil by a presidential commission.
 Senators Swanson of Virginia ar Walsh of Massac h usetts. democrat will conduct the contest to amer the resolution so that the commi sion would deal only with the que ton of safety devices and means , preventing such disasters in the f, ture with senate naval sub-ccn mittee inquiring into the disast' itself.
 In calling up the resolution which already has been approved the house Senator Hale suEgeste an amendment by which the con mission would be composed of fo, civilian experts, including a judg and one retired naval officer instea of three civilian members and tv retired naval officers.
 The Maine senator disclosed th Secretary Wilbur contemplated Il appointment of these civilian men ters of the commission: John Stevens. of New York. president { the American Society of Civil El gineers: W. R. Whitney. of Scheme tady. an official of the Gener Electric Company, and Thomas Scott. a salvage expert
 LauncnlnG the attack on the res luton. Senator Swanson declar' Secretary Wilbur had already $ lected the membership of this "s called presidential commission" : Instead of the president selec ing the men," he declared. i've nc see cunning scheme whereby N Wilbur would select the judges
 try himself"
 The Virginia senator said he h. | TO criticism to make of the expeI P proposed by the secretary. but tn 9 the country is entitled to an inves e gaticn by some one not named
 the secretary of the navy.