Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-11
Disclosures of Vestris Probe
Linked With San Juan Tragedy

| over is gone. The International
Conference for Safety at Sea has
drafted a set of rules for sea safety
which, if followed, should prevent such
disasters Every nation should adopt
them, but when they do there will still
be no means to counterfeit human
stupidity
AS to safeguards, the Long Beach
Press-Telegram asks: rs steamship in
spection all that it should be? Are
! maritime rules as strict as wise precau-
| ton for the safety of passengers and
crews dictates? Federal officials
| declare that the San Juan was sea-
| worthy and perhaps it was according
| to accepted standards. The point is,
| Should these standards be raised, or
| should other steps be taken to prevent
a repetition of these disasters?"
The view that America has no lack
of competent mariners, and the Gov
eminent bureaus which survey the
, coastal waters and maintain aids 90
navigation are efficiently administered"
is held by the Springfield. Mass, Re-
publican. but that paper adds: Neither
in Congress nor among the public is
there any wide understanding OF the
science of seamanship. The Nation has
little consciousness OF a marine tradl-
ton. Few persons know, or care,
or whether the inspection service is
satisfactory"
During the discussion of the Vestris
disaster" recalls the New Orleans
Times-Picayune, lit was developed that
the American Senate never had ratified
the previous sea safety convention,
adopted in 1914! 1t is very much to be
hoped that our elder statesmen will not
so long delay their ratification Of the
new code"
Long years of navigation dotted here
and there with tragedies" states the
Portland, Greg, Journal, have taught
mariners the need of constant vigilance
| in weather whether clear, murky or
foul. In fog the whistle must sound
,lnremittingly to carry warning where
eyes cannot see or lights penetrate. Yet
in the collision of the San Juan and
the Dodd it does not appear that vlsl-
bility was entirely lost. In
San Francisco dispatch appears this
sentence: 'Forty-two survivors were
brought into this port, 18 passengers
and "a crew members And the death
toll of the San Juan shipwreck dis
aster stands at IA What were the
members of the San Juan crew. so large
proportion of whom saved themselves,
doing to save the lives committed to
their care?"
Capt. Asplund of the San JUAN" re-
cords the Texarkana Gazette, stuck to
his craft and is numbered among the
casualties of what will go into history
as one of the greatest tragedies of the
Pacific It was one of the queer quirks
of fate that placed him aboard the YES
sci on its trip to Davy Jones' locker.
This veteran of the sea had accumu-
lated competence and had retired
from active service, planning to spend
the rest of his life ashore, enjoying the
fruits of years of labor at sea- "A friend
wanted a vacation and the San Juan's
owners asked Capt. Asplund to serve
as substitute It was the will
of fate that he should become one of
the heroes of the deep who have added
luster to their vocation and caused tales
of maritime heroism to fascinate lands
men"
The Oakland Tribune concludes with
the tribute: TRUE to the seas tradi-
lions, with the sad story which was
sent through the air and out of the fog,
there came stories of mans heroisIn in
time Of stress. Again the average man
achieved hours of greatness proving
that fine courage and nobility which are
in the human material. A captain went
down with his ship"