in shipbuilding was to sacrifice safety to luxury.

Captain Roden, a well-known Swedish navigator, had written an article
maintaining this theory in the Navy, a monthly service magazine, in
November, 1910. With seeming prophetic insight he had mentioned the
Titanic by name and portrayed some of the dangers to which shipbuilding
for luxury is leading.

He pointed out that the new steamships, the Olympic and Titanic, would
be the finest vessels afloat, no expense being spared to attain every
conceivable comfort for which men or women of means could possibly
ask--staterooms with private shower-baths, a swimming pool large enough
for diving, a ballroom covering an entire upper deck, a gymnasium,
elaborate cafes, a sun deck representing a flower garden, and other
luxuries.

After forcibly pointing out the provisions that should be made for the
protection of life, Captain Roden wrote in conclusion:

"If the men controlling passenger ships, from the ocean liner down to
the excursion barge, were equally disposed to equip their vessels with
the best safety appliances as they are to devise and adopt implements
of comfort and luxury, the advantage to themselves as well as to their
patrons would be plainly apparent."

VIEW OF LEWIS NIXON

Lewis Nixon, the eminent naval architect and designer of the battleship
Oregon, contributed a very interesting comment. He said in part:

"Here was a vessel presumed, and I think rightly so, to be the
perfection of the naval architect's art, yet sunk in a few hours by an
accident common to North Atlantic navigation.

THE UNSINKABLE SHIP

"An unsinkable ship is possible, but it would be of little use except
for flotation. It may be said that vessels cannot be built to withstand
such an accident.

"We might very greatly subdivide the forward compartments, where much
space is lost at best, making the forward end, while amply strong for
navigation purposes, of such construction that it would collapse
and take up some of the energy of impact; then tie this to very much
stronger sections farther aft. Many such plans will be proposed by those
who do not realize the momentum of a great vessel which will snap great
cables like ribbons, when the motion of the vessel is not perceptible to
the eye.

"The proper plan is to avoid the accident, and if an accident is
unavoidable to minimize the loss of life and property."

VIEW OF ROBERT H. KIRK

The Titanic disaster was discussed by Robert