THE tremendous loss of life necessarily aroused a discussion
as to the cause of the disaster, and the
prevailing opinion seemed to be that the present
tendency 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 cafés, 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."
