Sir Isaacs Condemns Titanic's Speed

SIR R. ISAACS CONDEMNS TITANIC'S SPEED.
Asks for More Stringent Rules for Ice Regions.

CAPTAIN SMITH'S DOUBT.
Lord Mersey Admits Unfavourable Impression of Some Evidence.

Sir Rufus Isaacs, the Attorney-General, yesterday commenced his speech for the Board of Trade at Lord Mersey's Committee of Inquiry at Westminster into the loss of the Titanic.
He began by pointing out that, though the number of passengers saved was originally given as 703, it turned out to be 711. The two main questions, continued the Attorney-General, were: -

Had there been failure to take proper precautions which would have averted or minimised the disaster?
What precautions should be taken to guard against any similar disaster?

He submitted first that, had speed been materially reduced - if, instead of 22 knots an hour, a speed of 8 to 10 knots had been maintained - although the Titanic might not have avoided collision with the iceberg she would not have sunk, or, if she had sunk, she would have remained afloat long enough for the Carpathia to have arrived and saved all the passengers. It struck him very forcibly that, although Captain Smith and his officers knew they might expect to meet an iceberg at any moment, they continued at 22 knots when there was not the slightest necessity for such a speed, for the White Star officials had proved that there was no intention of creating a record on this voyage.
There were warnings this year that ice would travel south at an earlier period than usual, and he contended that particular care should have been exercised in consequence. He agreed with witnesses that the night of the disaster was an exceptional one, but it was not the experience of navigators that it was the first time they had known such a calm night. The conditions were certainly unusual, but unusual conditions necessitated unusual precautions.
The difficulty which had confronted them from the opening of the inquiry, he thought, was as to how the officers on duty on the Titanic had failed to observe the nearness of ice.
Lord Mersey: That is the difficulty.

To Disaster in Forty Seconds.

It was only a matter of seconds, continued Sir Rufus Isaacs, between the time of the sighting of the iceberg and the collision, and as the speed of the Titanic was 700 yards per minute the utmost time that elapsed was forty seconds. The furthest distance at which the iceberg was seen from the vessel was 466 yards. That was not sufficient to prevent the disaster, however swiftly orders were given, and however quickly the officers acted. It had been suggested that if the vessel had gone straight ahead at the iceberg, she would have been telescoped for 100 feet, and that that would have been the extent of the disaster; but he should not dream of suggesting that Captain Smith should have gone stem on to the iceberg.
Why was not the iceberg seen earlier? As ice was to be expected, there should have been a look-out at the stem as well as in the crow's-nest. The officers knew that ice was coming south earlier than usual, and therefore they should have taken exceptional care. It was evident that Captain Smith was not easy in his mind as to the ice. He was doubtful, because in conversation with Mr. Lightoller he said if the conditions altered at all he was to be informed at once.

Judge on Officer's Evidence.

Lord Mersey: I have read most carefully Mr. Lightoller's evidence, and I must say it does not make a completely favourable impression on my mind. By the very conversation he speaks to, he shows that they were warned of abnormal conditions. So far as I am concerned, the White Star's case would have been much better without the evidence.
Dealing with the wireless warnings of ice from the Baltic, the Attorney-General said the Titanic ought to have reduced speed and doubled the look-outs. He could not understand why the precaution had not been taken of putting men in the stem. The answer as to neglect of precautions always got back to this, that the conditions were so extraordinary that night that they could not anticipate any accident. But he submitted that it should have been foreseen, and that the simple precaution of reducing speed should have been taken.
Evidence had been given that it was the practice of liners to proceed at great speed when ice was expected, and some of the witnesses had taken the view that even after what had happened, and the lesson they had learned, it was still justifiable to do so. He would ask his lordship to condemn the practice emphatically, or they might have another disaster. He asked his lordship to say that recommendations should be given to masters of vessels to go at a moderate speed at night when ice had been reported.
The inquiry was then adjourned until 10:30 on Monday morning, when the proceedings will be resumed at Caxton Hall.

Source: Lloyd's Weekly News, June 30, 1912, Page 2