Page 50 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 27 - 31

out what the Master of the “Mount Temple” says. The summary does not indicate that, as your th Lordship sees, but it is there. It is under date 11 June. Then I have here some letters which I have not seen before, but they are answers which have been made, I understand, to the White Star Line, which has also been making some inquiries with the same object. They had better be handed in. My friends wish them handed in. Will you follow this, Sir Robert, because it does not seem very desirable to encumber the Court with more documents than are necessary? I think the only addition to what we have already in evidence is the Hamburg-Amerika Line. Sir Robert Finlay: Yes. The Commissioner: I have here the Norddeutscher, which is a sufficient answer for my guidance, because I assume that the Hamburg-Amerika is the same: “Steamers were going full speed as long as the weather kept clear.” The Attorney-General: Very well. The Commissioner: That looked as though they followed the same practice as the British ships. The Attorney-General: Now, my Lord, there is one matter I want to mention to avoid any possible misapprehension. With reference to my friend, Mr. Duke, who appeared for Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff-Gordon - I mention it because I happen to have seen him with reference to it - of course he is ready to come if there were any necessity, but I indicated to him what I have already told your Lordship with reference to them, that is to say that I was going to make no comment whatever upon their evidence, except in so far as it became necessary in regard to that particular boat, but not in any way reflecting upon them. I had already said that, and therefore he did not propose to attend unless any other of my friends was going to make an attack upon them. I told him I understood from what had happened that that was not going to take place, and that therefore he need not appear; but if there is any intention of making an attack upon them it ought to be stated, so that he may have notice of it, and be here whenever the attack is taking place. The Commissioner: What is your view, Mr. Edwards and Mr. Scanlan? Mr. Edwards: I was going rather to ask your Lordship’s direction. I was responsible in the first place for getting out the evidence as to the payment of money. I quite recognise, whatever might be our view or whatever might be your Lordship’s view, about the actual conduct of any single passenger, it is not material to the issues which you have to try, except in so far as it may have had a certain effect in seducing the mind of the man responsible for navigating the boat from any idea there may have been of going back to the rescue. Of course it is a very serious matter in the case of that boat, which was practically empty, and was capable of saving a great number of people. It may be essential to point out the possible effect of a certain line of conduct on the part of the passengers; and subject to what your Lordship might say, I did propose commenting upon the evidence as given against and by Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon and Lady Duff-Gordon, in so far as it is calculated, or may be calculated, to have affected the mind of those responsible for the conduct of that particular boat. Therefore, I think, those who are representing Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff-Gordon ought to be apprised of the fact, subject of course to what your Lordship may say, that there is an intention to call attention to the evidence relating to that part of the case. The Commissioner: What do you say, Mr. Scanlan? Mr. Scanlan: I have felt that I could with propriety in discharging what I conceive to be my duty to my clients, leave the question of the personal conduct of the Duff-Gordon’s out of this case. I feel I am not debarred on that account from making a comment on the fact that this particular boat was not filled with a proper complement of persons. But I am going to attribute that, my Lord, to another cause. I am going to attribute the fact that the boat was not filled to another cause, to the want of discipline. I shall have some remarks to make upon that when I come to it, but not at all in reference to the personal conduct of the Duff-Gordon’s. The Attorney-General: I have never said that I am not going to comment upon the conduct of the man who was in charge of the boat, and responsible for it, and also to some extent to what