Page 16 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 14 - 18

The Commissioner: I see it. The Solicitor-General: You will see it is referred to there. The Attorney-General: Your Lordship will remember I opened only two - the “Caronia” and the “Baltic” - and I said those were the only ones I was then going to refer to. The Solicitor-General: They were all we had. These gentlemen have been looking at their records since. Sir Robert Finlay: This is the 7th of May. I think my friend opened on the 2nd or the 3rd. The Solicitor-General: That is right. The Attorney-General: I got the information afterwards. Sir Robert Finlay: The letter is dated in London the 7th of May. The Solicitor-General: I am anxious your Lordship should have before you the observation that it seems might fairly be made on that document. Your Lordship sees unlike the others, the record of the reply is on the same piece of paper as the record of the message sent. It is all in one handwriting, and I understand that to be the handwriting of the operator on the “Mesaba.” The Commissioner: Yes. 16232. (The Solicitor-General.) And it has the air of having been written all at one time - that is so, is it not, Mr. Turnbull? The Witness: Yes. 16233. (The Commissioner.) Have you got there the procès-verbal? The Witness: I have (Handing up the same.). Sir Robert Finlay: May I see the document containing the message? The Commissioner: Yes (The same was handed to the learned Counsel.). 16234. Does the operator record the answers that he gets in his procès-verbal? - Not always. 16235. He has not done it in this case? - No, he has not done it in many cases. It is very seldom it is recorded unless it is not regarded as sent - unless it is received. 16236. Unless it is acknowledged? - Unless it is acknowledged, yes. The Attorney-General: Of course, we will take steps to get Mr. Adams. The Commissioner: I am very anxious to know exactly what knowledge can be traced to Captain Smith. The Attorney-General: Yes. The Commissioner: That is my anxiety. The Attorney-General: Although at one time it did not look necessary, it is now, and so far as Mr. Adams can throw any light upon it we will take care to have him here. That is the operator “S. H. A.” The Solicitor-General: I was anxious to point out - it is fair to do so - what is odd about this, because there is something odd about it. The thing that is odd about it is that it speaks of being sent to the “Titanic” and to all east-bound ships. Of course, the “Titanic” is west-bound. The Commissioner: Yes. The Solicitor-General: And the reply which is noted at the bottom is not in terms noted as received from the “Titanic,” as distinguished from being received from any other of the ships. That is what your Lordship ought to have before you. The Commissioner: Yes. The Solicitor-General: You see what I mean. The Commissioner: Oh, quite. There is nothing to identify the reply with the “Titanic.” The Solicitor-General: There is something, but there is not anything on the face of that entry. I just wanted to call attention to what it is. On the other hand, your Lordship will see on this piece of paper, “Office sent to,” and the space at the time is entered “M.G.Y.” The Commissioner: That is the “Titanic.” 16237. (The Solicitor-General.) That is the “Titanic,” and the time sent is 7.50. The procès-