634 



The REviiiw of Reviews. 



I'riuie into a semblanre of taking action to endeavour 

 to save the reputation of the Jlinistcr and of the 

 Government. But what can be expected of a Minister 

 who. when asked why there had been so much delay,, 

 announces that there had been no " unavoidable delay," 

 in tliesr words, " If we had anticipated the loss of the 

 Tilani(. naturally we should have moved more quickly, 

 but that was a thing we could not do." If this is argu- 

 ment, wc would recommend the President of the Board 

 of 'I'radc to buy an " Old Moore's Almanac," and lay 

 out his j)lans according to its predictions ! 



IS THERE A RAY OF HOPE ? 



Admitted that the shipowning interests are supreme 

 at the Board of Trade, is any escape possible ? Is there 

 any ray of hope for the passenger ? Apparently none, 

 .since behind the shipowners there are the insurance 

 brokers, and it must never be forgotten that the 

 day of the unsinkabie ship means the end of marine 

 insurance. There are few Board of Trade surveyors ; 

 according to Lord Charles Beresford. " only sixteen 

 nautical surveyors to inspect 7,000 steamers with a 

 tonnage of over 13,000,000." How can the regulations, 

 which allow for a yearly inspection of life-saving 

 appliances and boats, be adequately carried out ? And 

 these surveyors are chosen on whose recommendation ? 

 On that of their former employers, the shipowners, to 

 whom they must look for testimonials. It all seems 

 hopelessly well arranged for the shipowners and 

 against the travelling public. Nothing can do any 

 real and lasting good .save a complete cleansing of 

 these Augean stables. 



THE '■' INSPECTION " OF VESSELS. 



We do not wonder, after all this, that the inspection 

 of vesssels is a mere farce in nine cases out of ten ; we 

 should be surprised were it otherwise. It does seem 

 strange that a Board of 'I'rade surveyor has apparently 

 not the right to choose the time of his visit himself, 

 but must wait a notice from the owners or captain. 

 Why, every seller of a farthing's worth of sweets in the 

 slums is more adetjuately supervised than are the 

 merchant-vessels of Britain ! Most cxtraordinarilv 

 ' ircumstantial tales are told of these inspections: how 

 special stores are kept, and only brought forth to play 

 their part during inspections, afterwards being landed 

 until the next time. The j)rincipal item in the inspec- 

 tion seems to be lunch, even though this has to be 

 frequently specially supplied from a ncighbourin" 

 hotel. In our next number we will deal more fully 

 with these most damning sides of the present domina- 

 tion of the Board of Trade by the shipowners. 



HOW TO GET AT THE TRUTH. 



How are we to get at the truth ? From the sur- 

 veyors ? Scarcely, if the}' value their positions. From 

 officers of the merchant service ? Certainly not, if we 

 are to believe what we hear of a blacklisting private 

 register at Lloyd's, in which owners can ruin all chances 

 of future employ;nent without the unfortunate man 

 having any chance of rebutting the accusations. It 

 would seem that the case is hopeless save in a court 

 of law, where subpcenacd witnesses would be forced to 

 give evidence. And even then — what ? It all seems 

 very hopeless, unless there is a great public expression 

 of sentiment and of indignation. We fail to see how 

 the public can adequately realise the enormity of 

 the crime save by exposure in the Courts of Law. 

 But how can any real good be expected from the 

 British Titanic Commission, which seems to prefer to 

 cross-examine the modern Mantalini to investigatmg 

 the vital question of bulkheads and watertight com- 

 partments. Much will be referred to the Bulkhead or 

 other commissions, and nothing further will be heard 

 of it for months. In any case it is only a shifting 

 from one farce to another ; the parts as well as the 

 whole are controlled by the shipowners directly or 

 through those, such as shipbuilders and experts (who 

 depend upon the shipowner for livelihood). The 

 shipowners mock the public just as much as does 

 a rude little boy who puts his fingers to his nose ; 

 but the shipowners are clever — they put the Board 

 of Trade's fingers to their nose, and the public is 

 deceived. 



PUT THINGS RIGHT ! 



But, oh, the shame of it to England, and the 

 cruelty of it to those who have to go down to the 

 sea in ships ! Every day sees vessels leaving port to 

 run even greater risks than the Titanic, since they 

 attract less attention ; and it is for the crews of the 

 tramp as well as for the passengers of the liner that we 

 would speak, for those who cruelly, silently disappear 

 without any glamour, without anything save slowly, 

 pitilessly making widows and orphans here and there. 

 It may be that the Titanic disaster may prove, as many 

 mercantile marine officers think, the Waterloo of this 

 country's marine prestige. We hope not ; we cannot 

 believe that it can be ; and wc are convinced that, even 

 at the elc\-enth hour, the nation will reassert itself, and 

 to such good ])urpo.se as to put matters on a basis 

 which will at the same time be worthy of the British 

 Empire and regain for us the riglit to lead the 

 world. 



