SEAMEN'S LEADER'S VIEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 20 April 1912, Page 5

SEAMEN'S LEADER'S VIEWS.

MR HAVELOCK WILSON INTERVIEWED.

" ROTORTJA. April 18. In an interview with a representative of the "Rotorua Times" to-night Mr Havelock Wilson (Secretary to the National Sailor 6' and Firemen's Union of Great Britain and Ireland) explained that as the English Union is affiliated to the International Union, his appeal to seamen of the world to give two days' pay each for the relatives of the sailors, firemen, cooks, and stewards of the Titanic will be sent to all maritime nations of the world. He mentioned that he is a member of the Advisory Committee to the Board of Trade, which is responsiblefor all regulations relating to the saving of life on ships. Last yeur the commivtee had under consideration the question of watertight bulkheads, and the boats that should be carried by ships. The loss of the Titanic would open up a very large subject. First, as regards the manning of vessels, probably the Titanic carried only 50 A.B.'s, which in the opinion of the leader of the Seamen's Union is not sufficient, as they consider that each boat's crew should have at least four competent seamen to take charge of it. The wreck will open up the question as to whether it is right to allow such large vessels to cross the ocean without having a sufficient number of life-boats to accommodate the crew and passengers in the event of adisaster such as has befallen the Titanic. " The owners of the vessel state that it is impossible to find space to carry sufficient boats to accommodate all the passengers. If this is so, then the question will have to have serious consideration.'

As to the number of passengers that should be carried under such circumstances one very eminent builder had stated that it was not possible to construct wa-ter-tight compartments tnat would "*.sano the strain. /

"My vie\y with' regard to the Titanic, disaster," continued Mr Wilson, "i& that the vessel did not strike the iceberg end on, but struck it sideways, which caused a breach in the side of the ship for some considerable distance, flooding more than one compartment." He anticipated , that there would be a very lengthy inquiry into this very serious calamity. There was one thing in connection with it that ought to fill all Britishers with pride, and that was that discipline had evidently been maintained on the ship, and the gallantry on the part oi tlie; men who made way for the women arid ; children had to go first, and it was : quite evident, so far as the news was 1 given at the present time, that this motto of the sea had been'well and truly fulfilled.

The disaster also opened up another great question with regard to composition of crews. Certain shipowners in Great Britain some two years ago wrote columns of matter in the press eulogising the employment of Lascare and Chinese in preference to British seamen, but here was another instance en record in which the Britisher had proven to the whole' world that he i s a true and brave seaman. The disasters which had recently happened on ships where Lascar crews had been employed had placed them in a very unfavourable light. After the heroic conduct of the crew of 'the Titanic, as against the cowardly conduct of some of the Asiatics probably the travelling public would find it profitable to give preference to vessels' that employed British seamen.