Page 126 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

18303. But the substance of it is that you are not bound to proceed at any rate at anything like the speed at which your vessels can go? - No, there is no penalty for not making a certain speed; in other words, we get paid a lump sum. 18304. Now, on Sunday, the 14th April, do you remember dining in the evening? - I do. 18305. With the Doctor? - Yes. 18306. On this very fateful day? - Yes. 18307. Did the Captain dine with you? - He did not. 18308. (The Attorney-General.) My Lord, you appreciate why I ask that? - The Doctor dined with me; there was nobody else at our table. 18309. But the Captain was in the restaurant dining, I think, with somebody else? - Yes, I believe he was; in fact, I know he was. 18310. At all events, you say he was not dining with you that evening? - No, I never spoke to him at all; I had nothing to do with him at all. 18311. You were a passenger on the vessel, but I suppose you travelled as a passenger because of your interest in the vessel and in the company which owned it? - Naturally I was interested in the ship. 18312. I mean, you had nothing to do in New York; you travelled because you wanted to make the first passage on the “Titanic”? - Partly; but I can always find something to do. 18313. I mean to say, you were not travelling in the “Titanic” because you wanted to go to New York, but because you wanted to travel upon the maiden trip of the “Titanic”? - Yes. 18314. Because in your capacity as managing director or as President of the American Trust you desired also to see how the vessel behaved, I suppose? - Naturally. 18315. And to see whether anything occurred in the course of the voyage which would lead to suggestions from you or from anybody? - We were building another new ship, and we naturally wanted to see how we could improve on our existing ships. 18316. That was the real object of your travelling on the “Titanic”? - And to observe the ship. 18317. What I want to put to you is that you were not there as an ordinary passenger? - So far as the navigation of the ship was concerned, yes. 18318. That I will ask you some questions later on about. I am not suggesting that you controlled the navigation, but what I suggest to you is that it would not be right to describe you as really travelling on that ship as an ordinary passenger, because of the interest you had in the “Titanic,” and because of your natural watchfulness as to the behaviour of the “Titanic” on her first voyage? - I looked upon myself simply as an ordinary passenger. 18319. You have told us in what capacity you were travelling across the Atlantic? - Yes. 18320. (The Commissioner.) Did you pay your fare? - No, I did not. 18321. (The Attorney-General.) You recognise, do you not, that my Lord’s question is one which rather disposes of the ordinary passenger theory, does it not; however, I will not press it? - I think if I had crossed on any other ship going across the Atlantic, I should have travelled exactly on the same terms. 18322. (The Commissioner.) If you had travelled in a Cunarder you would not have paid? - No. 18323. (The Attorney-General.) Now I think we understand what you mean when you say you were travelling as a passenger. Now on this day, on the 14th, did you get information from the Captain of ice reports? - The Captain handed me a Marconi message which he had received from the “Baltic” on the Sunday. 18324. He handed you the actual message as it was delivered to him from the “Baltic”? - Yes. 18325. Do you remember at what time it was? - I think it was just before lunch. 18326. On the Sunday? - Yes, on the Sunday. The Attorney-General: Your Lordship remembers the message from the “Baltic.” I am going to hand up to you a little later a document which gives the messages in their proper order of dates,